This former leather tannery in Bellac, situated next to the river Vincou, had fallen into a state of ruin over a long period of disuse.  Sections of the stone walls had collapsed over the past few years, and the original roof structure had been lost. 

Positioned on a steeply sloping site, with the dilapidated structure threatening the retaining walls supporting the surrounding landscape, this proposal sought to repair and retain the existing stone structure without introducing any contemporary components.  The original brief, to create a holiday home, guest house, and swimming pool, sought to work with the requirements of contemporary construction techniques and living standards to be accommodated with an historic and partially derelict structure.  The outcome sits a legibly contemporary structure of glass, copper, and hardwood within the restored wall of the former tannery building.