Architects in Biarritz
B+L Architects is an architecture practice based in Biarritz since 2016, on avenue Jaulerry. Loïc Brunsard and Hervé Lot design housing, public buildings, houses and renovations, with constant attention to the site, to the way people live and to materials.
In Biarritz we built 22 social housing units in the Saint-Charles district, on the site of a former grove: a fragmented building around an open walkway, every flat dual-aspect or through, with generous loggias in locally sourced timber. Nearby, we designed 12 south-facing social housing units opposite a high-rise block. We also work at a smaller scale: an apartment under the roof timbers of a Biarritz chalet, a bathroom hidden behind a cupboard, interior design. In the same chalet, in a protected heritage area, we carried out the energy renovation of the six co-owned flats.
Building in Biarritz means working with a dense town, wooded plots, an oceanic climate and a strong heritage. We favour bio-based materials (timber, straw, earth, hemp) and reuse, for healthy, durable buildings suited to the Basque coast.
Building a house in Biarritz
In Biarritz, a house is designed from its plot: often narrow, wooded, sloping or turned towards a view. We start with siting, orientation, light and the relationship with the garden, before settling on an architectural language. Each house is designed for its own site, with no model or imposed style. Our houses and villas in the Basque Country give a few examples.
Renovating a villa, a chalet or a flat
Much of Biarritz is made of villas, chalets and old buildings altered over time. Before drawing, we survey what exists and decide what deserves to be kept, revealed or transformed. Energy renovation, extension, reorganising rooms, restoring façades: old masonry, renders and roof structures are treated with compatible materials such as lime. In protected heritage areas, projects require the approval of the Architecte des Bâtiments de France (the state heritage architect); we prepare these applications with the same care as the design itself. See our heritage projects.
From sketch to site
B+L is an architecture and project management practice: we follow each project from the first sketch to handover. Design studies, planning permission, contractor tendering, contracts, site supervision: this continuity between drawing and building keeps the detailing and the budget on track to the end.
We work for public clients, social landlords and private clients, from first sketch to completion on site. We work in French and English. A project in Biarritz? Get in touch.
