Dune Archive

Dune Archive is embedded within a series of Atlantic dunes rather than placed above them. Thick rammed-earth walls retain sand and organize a chain of protected courtyards, while narrow black steel cuts frame the pale horizon. From the approach, only fragments of wall and roof are visible; the full plan is understood gradually from within.

Six suites occupy separate earth volumes connected by shaded passages. The central rooms gather around a long water basin that cools the sheltered court and reflects the evening sky. A library and map room sit at the most protected end, while the main salon opens toward a low terrace screened from prevailing coastal wind.

Layered earth, mineral plaster and weathered timber were selected to age with salt, sand and extreme light. Water is drawn and treated through a closed system, power is supplied by a remote solar field and service buildings remain concealed behind the landform. Dune Archive is remote, but never improvised: rigorous comfort within a severe landscape.