Just as cabinetmakers once completed their apprenticeships by crafting a precious miniature, Laboratoire presents its first project in the form of a refined piece of micro-architecture. With these two ‘shelters’ installed near Modave, the young Liège-based practice has redesigned the site of La Roseraie restaurant and, within a setting that exudes luxury, has opted for compactness.

It all began with the revival of a family-run restaurant, taken over by the heiress, Marie. Having retrained as a chef, she faced the challenge of expanding her establishment: what if the house, currently undergoing a facelift, offered unique overnight stays on the edge of the woods? This is an opportunity seized by Maxime Faniel, architect and relative of the restaurateur. Together with his partners, Florence Jacques and Arnaud De Francesco – Laboratoire –, they embarked on this first commission, addressing it on every scale: that of the site, and that of the miniature.