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Heritage classified

Key figures

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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