Provence, France · 2023 · Private estate
The Orchard House
A working olive estate reinterpreted through three interconnected pavilions and a restored 18th-century mas.
Location
Provence, France
Year
2023
Discipline
Private estate
Area
1,240 m²
The Brief
A multi-generational family commissioned RowUI to redesign a working olive estate in the Luberon as their long-term primary residence. The brief combined the restoration of an 18th-century mas, the design of three new pavilions for guest accommodation and family use, and the integration of the working agricultural operation — 22 hectares of olive groves and an active oil-pressing programme — with the residential architecture.
The Challenge
The mas was structurally sound but had been insensitively renovated in the 1990s, with lowered ceilings, cheap partitions, and inappropriate materials. The three new pavilions had to satisfy Provençal planning restrictions, which prescribe roof pitch, material palette, and mass composition. The client's brief for contemporary comfort — full climate control, gallery lighting, contemporary kitchens — sat in productive tension with the traditional context. Working the agricultural operation required a large service infrastructure that had to be entirely invisible from the primary composition.
The RowUI Solution
RowUI restored the mas to its 18th-century mass and materials — lime-washed stone walls, restored roof tiles, and full-height rooms with original chestnut beams. The three new pavilions were designed as contemporary interpretations of the local agricultural vernacular: rammed-earth walls with pitched terracotta roofs, but with floor-to-ceiling glass on their south elevations to open the primary living spaces to the olive grove views. The pavilions are connected to the mas by covered stone walkways that also serve as pergolas for climbing wisteria. The agricultural service infrastructure — presses, storage, machinery — is housed in a fourth pavilion set below grade behind an existing stone wall, entirely invisible from the residential composition.
The Architectural Detail
Interior finishes throughout are drawn from a single palette: lime plaster walls, terracotta tile and oiled stone floors, hand-oiled walnut joinery, and hand-forged wrought iron hardware. The primary kitchen combines a restored 18th-century fireplace with a contemporary stone island, a professional-grade range, and a hidden secondary prep kitchen for large family gatherings. Every bedroom in the estate opens directly to a private terrace framed by the olive trees. Lighting is warm throughout — 2700K ambient with 2200K accent — deferring to the intense Provençal daylight during the day and providing gentle candle-adjacent illumination at night.
The Result
The estate now supports both a full residential family use and a productive commercial olive-oil operation, with 4,000 litres of oil pressed annually and sold under a private label. The restored mas has been recognised by the local heritage association for the sensitivity of its restoration. The family has occupied the residence as their primary home since 2023 and has hosted three multi-generational family gatherings with over forty guests without stressing the residence's capacity. The project stands as a demonstration that contemporary luxury and working agricultural heritage can share a site without either compromising the other.
