A Palaiseau house renovation by Atelier Apara centered on improving natural light and thermal performance through envelope and interior interventions

HUGO is a house renovation in Palaiseau, a suburb south of Paris, carried out by Atelier Apara with a brief centered on 2 related problems: insufficient natural light and poor thermal performance. The studio addressed both without expanding the building's footprint, working through targeted interventions to the envelope and interior fabric.

On the exterior, existing openings were widened and new ones introduced to increase daylight in the main living spaces. The facade was upgraded with wood-fiber insulation finished in lime render, improving thermal efficiency while maintaining continuity with the original structure's character. The roof was fully reworked, with high-performance insulation installed beneath a new zinc covering, reinforcing the building's overall environmental performance.

Inside, the material choices follow an economy of means that becomes the interior's defining quality. Clay brick walls are left exposed, allowing the structure to breathe and providing tactile presence without additional finish. Beech plywood panels line key surfaces, creating a coherent low-impact palette across the interior. Translucent tiled partitions separate spaces without blocking light, maintaining openness between zones. In the living area, a Togo sofa and tubular metal-framed pieces introduce contrast against the warmth of the wood and brick.

The project works through accumulation of considered decisions rather than any single dramatic move. Wider openings, breathable walls, a reroofed insulated envelope, and a restrained material palette compound into a home that is measurably better performing and perceptibly more pleasant to inhabit.