Pugets
Pugets is a minimal space located in Saint Laurent du Var, France, designed by Bancau. The similarities are clear when L’Artisan des Pains Oubliés’ method is listened to. Making use of the resources and the skill and revealing it in the work are very similar principles the studio used in all of their work, whether it are making bread or constructing an architecture project. The bakery of the Artisan des Pains Oubliés starts with a family story. Thus, father and son Jean Christophe and Thibault have chosen to set aside their individual experiences in order to design an organic bakery in accordance with the beliefs that the architects both hold dear: using the most natural and fresh products. It was difficult for them to realize their dream of an authentic bakery free from pointless procedures in the unfinished first floor of a new structure. This is why they began by talking about the materials, which in the opinion need to be created by the workers’ hands and tools.
Terra cotta, wood, and bare earth plaster have all been quickly reflected about. Using bio-based materials pushes architects and craftspeople to utilize techniques that have been lost to time and forgotten. The designers move away from conventional and reliable methods due to standardization, rentability, and process velocity. Instead of starting from scratch, the idea is to combine what the studio already knew worked with modern aesthetic standards. Regarding the design of the spaces, reflection has been focused on a starkly straightforward explanation of the many components of the program. An easily accessible public foreground with retail and lunch, and a background showing the many baker’s tools, arranged around a central masterpiece oven, serve as the bakery’s defining visual elements. Beyond a very dedicated team, this project is also a tale of Jean Christophe and Thibault’s unwavering faith in the profession. The deeply enthusiastic father and son never stopped encouraging us to be creative, all the way to the final handmade ceramic piece produced in the studio.
Photography by Lorenzo Zandri