Independent cottages and livestock farming by Marion Troisgros, in Ouches

“I have fond memories of my childhood, sharing meals in the kitchen with my parents. Games of hide-and-seek in the nooks and crannies of the big house. Of the cheese platter I devoured and the sunflower, a meringue dessert topped with passion fruit custard. Here, I’ll greet people with, “Welcome to the farm and to our home!” Once they’ve settled in, I’ll offer them boots so they can join us in sharing a moment with us and our animals, Jérémy’s suckling Charolais cows, my ponies…”

“At Troisgros, we like to create worlds that are close to our hearts. For me, the horse meadow has this pure and cozy ambience of the Nordic countries that I love so much, and the profile of a hacienda with its central quarry, surrounded by farm buildings.”

Architect Pierre Janin, a farmer’s son renowned for his particular sensitivity to the nobility of agricultural work, combines common sense, generosity and inventiveness. The clear lines of the spaces he designs and his choice of materials focus only on the essential. At Le Pré Cheval, we’re surrounded by raw, untrimmed wood, wrapped by corrugated polycarbonate and cement fiber sheets in delicately shaded grays. He managed to create a harmonious synergy between the different elements of the barn, the stables and our house, while at the same time providing freely modular living spaces. Guests can come alone or stay with family and friends, enjoy the living room together and make new friends. An overhanging passageway runs alongside the quarry with its playful obstacles, while to the back of the apartments alcoves open up to the fields, with views onto ‘Le Bois sans feuilles’ (the Leafless Forest) and its ‘Bois dormant’ (Sleeping Forest).

“I’ve had a very atypical career. When it came to choosing a career path, two subjects interested me: horses and events. I love organizing. After a general baccalaureate, I took a DUT in marketing techniques in Roanne, then went on to a communications school in Lyon. But city life didn’t suit me, it was oppressive. I told my parents that I wanted to work in the horse-riding industry, and I took a vocational diploma from the French Ministry of Youth, Education and Sport to become a riding instructor. As well as my love of horses, I love teaching, especially to children. It requires special listening skills and a certain amount of patience.”

“We’ve always lived with animals at home, dogs, cats… Animals are unfiltered, they don’t lie. They bring serenity, peace and love. For my 17th birthday, my parents gave me a Selle Français mare, My Girl. She was my mare of choice. We understood each other beyond words. For about ten years, I had my own stable in Neulise, half an hour from here. The ponies I breed today come from that stock. They’re gentle, good-natured.”

“A combination of circumstances led me to move closer to my family. This beautiful place in the countryside has acted like a magnet! Because, in addition to the farm that I run with my partner, I also support César in Ouches in all aspects of management and communication. My brothers and I were born into the hotel and restaurant business, and all three of us have inherited an entrepreneurial temperament. We watched our parents work day and night. When I joined them, everything fell into place. I love good food, beauty, nature and architecture, and Ouches has it all. As for the Pré cheval, it satisfies another need, that of having my feet firmly planted in the ground. Above all, it allows me to be both here and there, reconciling professional activities, passion and family life. I see Le Pré Cheval as a place where you will be pampered with tailor-made treatments, a place that’s as close as possible to nature, to my nature.”