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Enveloped in willow mats

The Toue Cabanée Residential Building Located Near Nantes

 - Barbara Zettel

The small residential building by Atelier du Ralliement sits enthroned on a rocky plateau above a floodplain in the Loire river landscape. Simple willow mats from the hardware store cover the wooden structure.

The Toue Cabanée Residential Building Located Near Nantes
© François Massin Castan

The building is located on a rocky plateau above a floodplain in the Loire river landscape. Simple willow mats from the hardware store cover the wooden structure. François Massin Castan and Clémence Manson, who both work in the centre of Nantes, wanted to live in the countryside, work in the city and not have a car. The plot of land next to the commuter car park on the railway line in Le Cellier, about 20 km northeast of Nantes, offered them both: excellent public transport links and unspoilt nature.

© François Massin Castan

Continuing to use the foundation walls

The building is located on a rocky plateau above a floodplain in the Loire river landscape. Simple willow mats from the hardware store cover the wooden structure. François Massin Castan and Clémence Manson, who both work in the centre of Nantes, wanted to live in the countryside, work in the city and not have a car. The plot of land next to the commuter car park on the railway line in Le Cellier, about 20 km northeast of Nantes, offered them both: excellent public transport links and unspoilt nature.

© François Massin Castan
© François Massin Castan

Everyone pitches in

The couple installed the facade cladding themselves with the help of six friends. The simple willow mats, which are often used as privacy screens on fences, tie the ground floor and the extension together and protect the black weatherproofing foil from sunlight. Clémence Manson estimates that the mats will last at least ten years. "When necessary, we will replace them, shred them and use them as mulch in the garden," she says.

© François Massin Castan

Warm and close to nature

Exposed spruce ceilings, maritime pine-clad walls and chestnut flooring create a warm, natural atmosphere. The staircase structure in the centre strengthens the building and relieves the gable ends, which open across the full width of the living room to reveal a rock face covered in ferns and moss.

© François Massin Castan

Toue Cabanée – a flat-bottomed boat?

Manson and Massin Castan have nicknamed their house the “Toue Cabanée”. Why? François Massin Castan explains: “The wooden upper floors rest on the ground floor base, just like the superstructures of houseboats on the Loire rest on the hull.” Clémence Mansons adds: “The open gable ends together with the closed long sides. In a toue cabanée, the sides are also more or less closed, while the bow and stern remain open to provide a view in the direction of travel.”

You can find out more in Detail 3.2026 and in our Detail Inspiration database.

Architecture: Atelier du Ralliement + Clémence Mansons
Client: Private
Location: Le Cellier (FR)

Structural engineering: VSB Vivier Structure Bois

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