A young French architect has developed an innovative solution to protect the iconic oyster farming village of L'Herbe on the Cap Ferret peninsula from rising sea levels, drawing inspiration from elevation techniques used in countries around the world. Manon Drouillard's final thesis project at the National School of Architecture and Landscape in Bordeaux focuses on raising the village's 160 historic cabins to preserve this emblematic site in the Arcachon Basin.
Drouillard, 23, has long been aware of the challenges posed by rising water levels both in the Cap Ferret area and elsewhere in France. "My family has a small house in Royan and I often came to the Arcachon Basin. I saw these climate problems with my own eyes and I've always been attached to them," explains the recent graduate. This personal connection to coastal flooding issues motivated her to focus her final academic project on adapting the village of L'Herbe to this growing phenomenon.
To develop her solution, Drouillard embarked on extensive international research, traveling to Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand to observe similar situations. "It was very enriching for my work but also humanly. I was able to see how these populations adapt to water and its constraints while always respecting nature," she said. Armed with these experiences, she then visited the Cap Ferret village to find ways to safeguard this historic site.
Faced with climate challenges, elevating the 160 cabins appears to be the ideal solution. During her research, Drouillard discovered that the peninsula's cabins were actually built on stilts in the previous century, making her proposed technique historically appropriate for the area. She drew particular inspiration from methods used abroad, notably in the United States and Australia, where similar elevation projects have been successfully implemented.
The technical process Drouillard proposes involves several precise steps. "Residents disconnect the concrete slab, install steel beams and place hydraulic jacks. Once the cabin is raised, they place wedges as well as stilts made of azobé, a wood that resists salt water unlike reinforced concrete which can quickly rust," the architect explains while showing her model exhibited at the Architecture House in Bordeaux. Based on predictions of submersion risks in the coming years, she has planned for an elevation of the cabins by approximately 1.3 meters.
While the project may seem enormous, Drouillard insists it is not impossible to implement. "This technique can extend to the entire village! It doesn't require the deployment of large machinery that would have difficulty reaching the site and it's proven that it works," she emphasizes. The method's feasibility is enhanced by its ability to work within the constraints of the remote village location, where access for heavy construction equipment would be challenging.
The cost question also comes into play in evaluating the project's viability. In Australia, an elevation can cost between $1,000 and $1,700 per square meter, but pricing in France is difficult to estimate. "You have to convert to euros first, then there are no companies specializing in this field. But in any case, it would cost less than demolishing and rebuilding a house," admits the architect. This cost-effectiveness compared to complete reconstruction makes the elevation approach particularly attractive.
Submitted in June, Drouillard's project earned her an impressive grade of 17 out of 20 from the jury. Beyond academic success, her work has resonated throughout the Arcachon Basin community. "I was able to attend meetings of the Protection and Development Association of Lège-Cap-Ferret which is also looking into this issue. I met the mayor of the municipality, Philippe De Gonneville, who praised my work. I wasn't expecting all that," she says with a smile.
Now that she has graduated, Drouillard is seeking architecture projects related to rising water levels. "If I can continue to work on safeguarding the village of L'Herbe and all areas threatened by submersion risks, I would be fulfilled," she states. Her model remains on display until November 2025 at the Architecture House on the right bank of Bordeaux, showcasing the detailed stilts for each cabin in the village of L'Herbe and serving as a testament to innovative solutions for climate adaptation.
