Lovely straw-bale cottage on a watermill estate

Rental description

Get off the beaten track on a large patch of French greenery. Anne and Jean-Marc will give you a hearty welcome to their estate with a lovingly restored watermill. Nature lovers, the pair decided to build a guesthouse designed for sustainability and energy efficiency.

The 70sqm house is made of stacked straw-bales and has a pure, pared down design. Push the door and feel an immediate sense of well-being. The interior feels cosy and dry by all weather conditions like a safe shell. It can host 5 people and has 2 bedrooms – one with a double bed and another with a double and a single bed – each with its private bathroom. In order to be completely independent, a fully-equipped open kitchen is at your disposal. After enjoying a barbecue and lounging on the lovely terrace, you can relax in the beautiful swimming-pool.

After enjoying a barbecue and lounging on the lovely terrace, you can relax in the beautiful swimming-pool open from mid-May to mid-September. Some of the produce is home grown, all of it is local.

Sustainability criteria

The owners’ primary aim is building a healthy, comfortable house for their guests with a very limited impact on the environment. Straw is an abundant material with high thermal resistance, which stocks up CO2 – meaning zero greenhouse gas emissions. Bills were not any higher than those for conventional construction (1,400€ per sqm for the wooden structure and straw insulation). These advantages were enough to get them committed to this project of sustainable development.

The sustainability and quality of the materials used was rewarded by the demanding “Clé Verte” label. What can be more original than an all-straw gite with green roofing? The 3 different gites on site have been built with great attention to ecological detail: lime plaster, organic paints, wood stove heating.

Pipes were installed in the ground, which channel rainwater directly to the river and thus avoid any flooding on the site. In the garden, goats mow the lawn – staying away from the vegetable patch! When the homemade produce is not enough to feed all guests, Anne meets with local farmers at the markets to uncover the best in fresh and organic produce. Chemical fertilizers are banned. Wood from the trimmed hedges is collected, crushed to bits, and its shavings are sprinkled around the plant pots for new produce, and the cycle goes on!

CO₂ emissions and CO₂ Emissions calculation of Atmosfair

compensate CO₂ footprint

• CO₂ emissions per night / per person 40 kg
• CO₂ emissions at full capacity 520 kg
• Amount of compensation per night / person 1,92 €
• Amount of compensation at full capacity 12,96 €