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Champagne Ardenne Half-Timbering PropertyIn Champagne Ardenne the half-timbering building technique is much developped. Half-timbering can be made in the area with bricks or classic cob timberframing, but also wood framing. In this very authentic region of France, all these different features can sometimes be found on a single property.The architecture of the Champagne Ardenne region of France has been influenced by the strong Germanic architectural style. Champagne Ardenne house types and the materials used can thus be categorized in the wide German «pan de bois» (half-timbering/ timberframe) architectural family much used in this area of France and notably in the neighbouring Lorraine and Alsace architectural styles.
The popularity of half-timbering in Champagne Ardenne is due to the abundance of wood in the area, wood being a primary product used in the a structure of a Champagne Ardenne house. The timberframe structure is made of poplar, ash tree, elm or chestnut tree. Half-timbering is basically a method of construction featuring walls built of timber frames with the spaces filled in by cob, called torchis in French. In Ardennes the cob can be replaced by bricks also (influence of the architecture of the neighbouring Picardy region). Roof tiles are generally brown or red and flat. The walls are filled using cob before the floor and roof structure are built. Even if the wooden framework is naturally strong and rigid once erected the strength of the structure can be supplemented using wood plugs. The walls are traditionally painted, you may for example see purple walls on some houses in this region of France.
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The traditional rural Champagne Ardenne house is almost always oriented with its narrower facade facing the street. A small garden often separates it from the road and the entrance door is located on the longest side of the home, away from the street. Many urban Champagne Ardenne timberframe houses are half-timbered with bricks, which gives a very nice appearance to the house.Champagne Ardenne houses often come with a cellar. The garden boasts a porch that can vary in size depending on the area. Like in other regions of France, traditional rural houses in Champagne Ardenne were often originally farm dwellings so many of these houses will be found in the Champagne Ardenne countryside even if the most stunning examples are often located in ancient town centres.
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