Commercial Use

Sheep Stable

Orcières, France

View from West 1 | View from West
When the previous stable burned down but did not collapse, allowing for all sheep to be saved, the building owner insisted on using wood again for the new stable.
Design: The building blends into the mountain landscape with its horizontal lines and compact volume. A structural system made of massive timber with robust nodes forms the roof for the sheep pen as well as the hay and equipment storages. The design follows the principle of providing good climatic conditions for the animals in summer and winter alike. The low roof slope and the low building volume help retaining the heat inside the building. The stable also has to withstand substantial snow loads (450 kg/m²) at its altitude of 1,700 meters above sea level. In order to provide protection from the wind, the stable is aligned to the south and east.

Wood: Thanks to the prefabricated structural components, the on-site construction only took a short time. The stable is the first building for agricultural use built with regional Bois des Alpes™ wood. Set on a concrete base, the structure is made up of solid silver fir timber for the pen as well as glued laminated timber for the hay and equipment storages. The facade consists of regional larch in its natural color hues. Primed gray metal sheets with double rebates cover the saddle roof. The insulation consists of recycled polyester (thickness of 2x75 mm). Light enters through semi-transparent polycarbonate tiles.
View from South 2 | View from South
Sheep stable 3 | Sheep stable
Hay storage 4 | Hay storage
The burning old stable 5 | The burning old stable
The old stable before the fire 6 | The old stable before the fire
12m
Basic information
Year of Completion |  2017
Investor |  Michel Giraud-Missier, Orcières (FR)
Architecture |  Atelier d'Architecture Giacomoni, L’Escale (FR)
Structural Engineering |  E Tech Bois Laurent Anglesio, Ingénieur Bois, Sisteron (FR)
Construction Time |  6 months
Number of floors |  1
Gross floor area |  1 000 m²
Construction Costs (netto) |  669 €/m²
Awards |  Grand Prix de la Construction Durable 2017 (Démarche qualité Hautes Alpes Naturellement)
Photography |  Pictures 1-4: Marie-Christine Giacomoni, L’Escale (FR); Pictures 5-6: Michel Giraud-Missier, Orcières (FR)

Technical aspects
Concept |  Solid and glued laminated timber for the structural system
Woodworking |  Alpes Méditerranée Charpente, Saint Crépin (FR)
Origin of Timber, Certification |  certified Bois des Alpes™ wood (FR), PEFC
Traceability of Timber |  Yes (certified Bois des Alpes™ wood)
Forestry Value Chain |  Yes, the use of local wood contributes to the revitalization of the local timber industry
Energy Systems |  Good thermal insulation compared to regular stables


Circular Economy Energy Efficiency


Site Plan Site Plan South- and East-facing facades South- and East-facing facades