An above ground and passive cellar, using only natural materials. The Leflaive estate in Puligny-Montrachet in Burgundy asked AZCA to design a winery for the breeding of its very great white wines in biodynamics end of 2010. Pioneer for more than 20 years in this extremely environmentally friendly agriculture, the estate was keen to extend its philosophy to architecture and build a building that looks like it. The cellar had to resonate with their principles and propose a space that could accommodate 180 oak barrels for the aging of grands crus. In the village, the ground water is very close and does not allow to bury the cellars. At once aesthetic, structural and energetic, the idea of an egg-shaped cellar above ground appeared as a matter of course. The vault is self-supporting, anchored comfortably in the ground and rises to more than 6m50 of height allowing to offer to the wines a very good cosmotelluric verticality. One of the goals was to use only natural, healthy, and local materials. It has therefore been proposed a straw bale filling, from biodynamic culture to promote it. The interior finish of the vault consists of reed panels and two layers of earth rendering. At the foot of the vault the implementation of a wall of compressed earthen brick mortared with the mortar allows to regulate the hygrometry of the place.
The Senior Village consists of 21 housing distributed between 12 T2 and 9 T3. Housing is grouped within two typologies of buildings. Three buildings are of full foot. They are implanted on the high part of the ground, named " high tray " (situated along the RD905 twice). Six buildings, on 2 levels, are implanted on the low part of the ground, named " low tray ".
Architects' team, Marine Jacques Leflaive and Emmanuel Dupont assisted by Marcel Croxson worked in a great way. The result is up to our expectations. They managed to understand our desires and to shape them! Three islands scattered in the middle of hundred-year-old trees lined with a river " Vouge " constitute the project. The building of rooms is at the same time modern and warm; it is built on piles to protect the network racinaire of the trees. Building materials will be naturally in accordance with the environment: the wood, the glass, cob and slate.
