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Building

French building industry taps into the power of hemp

Innovative hemp-based materials are making a comeback in France, offering enhanced insulation and lower carbon emissions

How Paris plans to crackdown on second homes and empty properties

The 8th arrondissement has the most unoccupied buildings, with a rate of 36%

Land for sale at €1 per m² in rural village in central France

Mayor hopes it will help reinvigorate community and maintain the local school

magazine

The Paris suburb housing estate that is like no other in France

Merlan was developed by international architects after World War Two to provide affordable housing to families dispossessed by bombing

Drought damage claims could get easier due to reforms and Météo-France

The weather reporter is changing how it supplies data for ‘natural catastrophe’ declarations

How close to my neighbour’s fence can I build a shed in France?

We look at the rules around building a garden shed in France, which may differ depending on where you live

Château, pavillon, villa: France’s property lexicon explained

Are you confused by the myriad of names for French dwellings?

What is the latest on the deadly collapse of buildings in Marseille?

Four of the six people killed in the collapse were identified on Tuesday

How to get a second opinion on a French house insurance pay-out offer

Hiring an expert en bâtiment might be cheaper than getting damage assessed by an architect, but their job is not regulated by government

Fantastical French pebble palace among 10 most-Googled cultural sites

The building, which was built by hand from pebbles over 33 years, has taken on ‘an international dimension’ this year, and was listed alongside the Louvre and Buckingham Palace

DIY: Upcycling pallets keeps costs down on French farmhouse renovation

Ladders, gabions and even a bar are among thrifty and creative ideas for repurposing wooden pallets

French company’s self-service concrete dispenser growing in popularity

Selfbeton has set up almost 40 of these machines around the country, including in Normandy, Brittany, Ile-de-France, Occitanie

Rising construction costs in France: Should you delay renovations?

The effects of the Ukraine war are hitting France’s construction industry. We look at what two experts say about the idea of putting off work for the moment

Village in west France halves housing land prices to attract newcomers

The building plots are being sold at just €7.50 in the remote village, after the Mairie has struggled to attract newcomers for the past 10 years

Notre Dame: Historic stained glass may be replaced

Archbishop overseeing the rebuilding of the stricken cathedral are debating whether to introduce modern touches to the iconic building, as the restoration reaches a major milestone

Court rules garantie décennale does not cover tiles

The garantie décennale under which building work is insured for 10 years does not cover floor tiles, France’s top appeal court has ruled.

Owner must knock down dangerous wall in France

A property owner must demolish and rebuild a badly-built wall that is at risk of falling on a neighbouring house.

Renaissance of Noisy’s iconic edifices near Paris

The Connexion visits the Paris suburb where extraordinarily original architecture is alive once more

French construction companies blockade fuel depots

Construction companies are blockading fuel depots across Brittany in protest against the government’s plan to remove tax incentives for off-road fuel.

French farmhouse renovation - July 2019

Nick Inman charts the ups and downs of doing it himself with tips and information he has learned renovating an old French farmhouse. This month: know your cement and lime mixes

French ruin château Rothschild to be restored to glory

The 19th century château Rothschild, in the Paris suburbs, and which once belonged to a banker to Napoleon III, is to be restored to its original state after lying derelict for almost 40 years.

Architecture of France: remarkable modern architecture

Architecture lovers, draw up!

Sinkhole 10 metres wide opens up in northern France

A sinkhole 10 metres wide and five metres deep has opened in Amiens (Somme, Hauts-de-France) this week, with experts suggesting it could be linked to medieval caverns beneath the town.

Rouen Cathedral acts to stop visitors spying

Rouen Cathedral has been forced to alter the angle of its new telescopic devices after it emerged that some people were using them to spy on the neighbours.

Burgundy rules in French architecture’s game of stones

The beauty of a building often stems from the material used to build it and Pierre de Bourgogne limestone is a classic example.

Tallest ever ‘eco’ wooden building opens in France

The tallest apartment building ever to be made almost entirely of wood in France has opened in Strasbourg, aiming to show the eco-friendliness of the construction method.

Homeowners in France warned on insulation work scam

Homeowners in France are warned to be alert to poor quality home improvement work by unqualified builders - especially for low-cost, energy-saving wall insulation - which can lead to expensive repairs.

More revealed on illegal €57m Provence Château Diter

More details have come to light on how the Château Diter - the €57m Côte d’Azur château that French authorities have ordered to be torn down - was able to grow to such an extent in the first place.

Secrets of the French country boudoir - March 2019

The key to creating a French country bedroom is to keep it clean and simple, says Courtney Allison

Rooftop gardens give fresh food and air

Paris is in the middle of a giant project to clear the city’s air by creating urban farms on rooftops and open spaces.

Building a new life as a budding artisan

Some buyers fear renovation but others welcome it... our writer Nick Inman has a foot in both camps, as he tells in this first of a series of articles

Chateau’s owners lose fight to halt wind farm

Owners of a chateau have lost a bid to withdraw a wind farm’s planning permission - because being able to see the turbines was not a good enough reason to object.

Marseille building collapse search halted

Six bodied have been recovered, but the search for victims has been suspended for safety reasons, with two more buildings in danger of collapse

Fifth body recovered from Marseille house collapse

A fifth body has been recovered - that of a man - from the rubble of the two houses that collapsed in Marseille on Monday (November 5) morning.

Body found in rubble of collapsed buildings

Hopes fading for between five and eight other people who remain unaccounted for following collapse of two buildings in Marseille

Haussmann’s Paris was an enormous building site

The centre of Paris is world-famous for the uniformity and the elegance of its buildings.

Owners lose out in erosion battle

Owners of flats in the erosion-threatened Signal building on the Atlantic coast have lost a long-running court battle to be compensated for their properties being declared uninhabitable due to the danger of collapse.

Wood: the growing building material of the future

Builders are using cross-laminated timber (CLT) to replace concrete as the key material in modern construction with wooden buildings rising across the country, from Strasbourg to Paris, Le Havre, Nice and Bordeaux.

Make sense of... Bâtiments de France

If you live in a listed building or in an historic area, any significant changes you wish to make to your home may need authorisation from the Architectes des Bâtiments de France

Building a house for €3,000 in France

(all materials included)!

Old church transformed into cultural events centre

A 19th century church in the Nord that was threatened with demolition has been transformed into a “cultural beacon”, including entertainment and events areas, concert space, and even a small hotel.

Nantes house built by onsite 3D printer is world first

A house in Nantes is being partially constructed by 3D printer, making it the first of its kind in the world destined to be lived in by real residents, and to be built by a robot actually on location.

New future for infamous Parisian brothel

Capital once had 200 'houses of ill-repute'

French tap water still ‘has too much lead’, says study

There are still too-high levels of lead in French tap water, and reducing it should continue to be an urgent public health priority, according to a new report today.

Heritage lottery plan unveiled

Special draws and scratchcard games set to raise funds to preserve historic venues and artefacts across France

Ancient discovery changes modern plans

A glass floor will ensure archaeological remains found at the site of a development in Nantes will be preserved and on display

Average cost of French self-built home now €294,000

The average cost of building your own house in France is now €294,000, a significant rise compared to last year, despite the decrease in actual average floor space.

Bad workmanship is No1 problem with builders

Anyone having building work done, whether a new-build house, extension, new roof or double glazing, fears there will be problems ahead, although most work is completed without any hitches.

Little house built between mighty walls of granite

Castel Meur is a testament to its first owner’s love of a wild stretch of Breton coast

'Dangerous' cracks found in city building

Homes evacuated after large cracks were found in properties following work to build underground railway line in Rennes