Jean Moulin Atelier-House is part of an allotment of art ateliers built in the 1940s and arranged in two rows along a private alley among the elegant Haussmannian buildings of Paris’ 14th arrondissement.

A big skylight on the roof and a continuous window overlooking the courtyard are the pre-existing elements the architects had to deal with in transforming the workspace into a home for a couple of artists.

Two levels are created inside the completely emptied volume, organized around a central, full-height void. Steps that become seats, movable panels that create rooms, storage cabinets that separate spaces and light stairs that connect the levels define paths and generate flexible spaces, adaptable to different uses, completely open when needed, and in direct with the garden and the piece of sky framed in the roof.

As you go up in the house the levels become more intimate. On the first floor the corner dedicated to sleep and relaxation takes the form of a wooden casket with a low ceiling for greater privacy and a more intimate relation to the human body. Another corner for guests is on the upper floor with a secret room in the attic.

Maple wood, concrete and Carrara marble cover the rooms, giving them a very delicate, minimalist atmosphere, while porous materials are chosen for the movable walls and stairs; woven jute and perforated metal sheets, which protect the rooms from view but allow light to shine through.