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"Le Gardien is one of the 12 constructions built for the Festival des Cabanes aux Sources du Lac d’Annecy in France. The event aims to make visitors aware of their own territory by setting up small-scale wooden architecture that will connect them with nature.

Le Gardien is located in Faverges-Seythenex on private land where cows live for most of the year. At the edge of the forest, the wooden shelter frames the mountains due to its orientation. It places the visitor in the active role of watching over this fragile landscape, symbolized by the swing which oscillates between the two singular atmospheres offered by the land and the forest.

The context
The landscape of the Pays de Faverges is the result of a long-standing balance between a spectacular natural territory and a human culture that has adapted to the powerful character of the mountains. This balance is actively maintained by the inhabitants thanks to their constant work on the territory. The cycle is structured as a network of actors who extract, move and transform natural resources.
Whether farmers or foresters, cheesemakers or builders, all contribute to its transformation and preservation.

The concept
Le Gardien is the result of these processes, combining nature and local culture. The simplicity of its volume represents the simple daily work of the inhabitants. The shelter places the visitor in the active role of watching over this fragile balance, symbolized by the swing, light and central, going and coming from one atmosphere to another. Indeed, the constructive system offers a contrast between two worlds: - the land side which focuses on the macro-landscape through a long space framed by wooden planks. - the forest side which opens onto its surroundings and highlights nearby micro-elements: stumps, trunks, insects, leaves and the sounds of the river.

The visit
When visitors arrive from the road, they follow the path that runs along the forest and the river. The simple massing and the vertical structure of the construction make it blend into the forest. Le Gardien humbly takes its place among the trees.

When visitors have come around the trees, they face an entrance marked by the presence of a stump and are invited to take a seat on the swing. Symbolic of the heart of Le Gardien, the rhythm of the swing brings it to life. It offers a simple and striking experience of two atmospheres which are the essence of the agricultural mountain landscape. The light is diffused and soft, filtered by the leaves and branches. The space is peaceful, and the sound of the river below is omnipresent and relaxing.

Team description
Collectif REV.L is a team based in France and Quebec, created by professionals in the fields of architecture, landscape, and urbanism, whose goal is to contribute to reveal the qualities of territories on which the team is involved. Collectif REV.L aims to design spaces and build permanent or temporary installations and small-scale architecture, self-built by citizens or realized in the scope of public or private contracts. The team also wants to share knowledge related to the territory, learned and developed through readings and experiences related to its activities."

Project credits
Design team: Collectif Rev.L (Nicolas Delucinge, Margot Bluteau Robbiani, Vanessa Giroux, Sébastien Labbé)
Video: Hanna Taïeb
Photos: Nicolas Delucinge, Hanna Taïeb