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House of Mr. and Mrs Drouhet built by Bossu agency

House of Mr. and Mrs Drouhet built by Bossu agency

    11 Allée des Citrines
    97400 Saint-Denis
Private property

Timeline

Époque contemporaine
2000
1967
Acquisition of land
1970
Home order
1971
First occupation
16 janvier 2023
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The facades and roofs of the house of Mr. and Mrs. Drouhet built by the Bossu agency, located 11 aisle des Citrines, Bellepierre, on plot 99, appearing in the cadastre section EM, as shown in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 16 January 2023

Key figures

Jean Bossu - Founder architect Creator of the agency in 1949
Jean-Michel Bossu - Architect Director Directs the agency during construction
M. et Mme Drouhet - Sponsors Owners and occupants since 1971
Auguste de Villèle - First client of the model plan Owner of a house similar to Montgaillard

Origin and history

The Drouhet House is a modern villa located in Saint-Denis, on the island of La Réunion, designed in 1970 by the architecture agency Bossu. Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Drouhet, she is inspired by a model plan already used for other local constructions, such as the Auguste de Villèle. Located in the Bellepierre district, which has been expanding since the 1960s, it illustrates the adaptation of the houses to the volcanic slopes of the island, with a ground floor on stilts and a floor housing living spaces.

The house, occupied since 1971, is distinguished by its concrete frame, roof terrace and sunbreaks integrated into the openings. It combines elements of standardization (type plan) and characteristics of private villa, reflecting the double expertise of Bossu agency, active since 1949 in Réunion. The agency, headed by Jean-Michel Bossu, son of the founder Jean Bossu, was responsible for both social housing and bourgeois residences. Ranked a historic monument in January 2023, Drouhet House today embodies a unique architectural heritage, combining tropical functionality and modernist aesthetics.

The land, acquired in 1967 by the husbands Drouhet, is integrated into an emerging subdivision on the heights of Saint-Denis. The design plays on the natural elevation: the garage and two bedrooms occupy the lower level, while the living room, the kitchen and three bedrooms are distributed upstairs. The shooting balcony and the prominent frames of the windows reinforce the harmony between the building and the Réunion landscape. This project also marks a transition in the work of Bossu, between serial production and tailor-made, as evidenced by its limited reproduction to a few copies.

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