A brick-heavy renovation in Bois-Colombes, near Paris, is getting attention for treating masonry as both structure and finished surface. The three-bedroom, 1.5-bath home was redesigned in 2011 by architects Jacques Moussafir and Gilles Poirée, built from the restructuring and extension of an early 20th-century worker’s house, and it is now listed for €1,450,000, about $1.69 million.
What stands out first is the exterior: a dark brick facade paired with wood window and door frames, with the massing broken into fragmented volumes that contrast with the surrounding suburban streetscape while still fitting into it. According to the listing, the house is organized as three connected volumes, two square and one rectangular, joined by glazed connections.
Inside, the material choices keep the focus on the building itself. In the living room, exposed concrete block walls meet a crisp white ceiling, creating a restrained backdrop for furniture, art, and a hanging fireplace. The extension also preserved the home’s structural black brickwork, a decision that puts even more weight on clean lines, consistent coursing, and tight transitions where old and new work meet.
The floor plan is stacked over three levels around a custom wood staircase. The ground floor kitchen and dining area open to a terrace, and the ground level includes two bedrooms facing a landscaped garden to the west. A double-height living room sits on the first floor, and the top level is reserved for a primary suite with an adjacent office.
For mason contractors, projects like this are a reminder that when brickwork and concrete block are left exposed, the work reads like finish carpentry. Every joint, corner, and opening becomes part of the architecture.
Read the full, original article from Dwell here.