les chaumes by atelier yokyok reuses grass stems into huts that people can poke their heads

Atelier yokyok’s les chaumes huts made of recycled thatch

In Roumare forest near Rouen in France, Atelier YokYok plants Les Chaumes, a series of huts made of wooden structures and recycled thatch, the hollow stems of grass. These totemic towering sculptures are semi-open because the design studio, which also created the anamorphic bench, wants people to step inside them and stick their heads out, as if they were wearing the installations like garments and carrying their weight on their shoulders. It’s a playful attempt at interactive artworks, all the while drawing influences from the traditions of spirits and creatures in gatherings. Atelier YokYok sees Les Chaumes as a recollection of colossal animals, hulking and bulging in appearance.

They may also evoke the layers of the Kukeri costumes in Bulgaria, elaborate garments worn during traditional rituals meant to expel evil spirits. There’s a subtle blend of animal fur hidden in the wooden base of these huts in the forest, concealed by layers of grass stems. For the design studio, Les Chaumes isn’t just a series of artworks, but a reminder of the idea of clothing, the skin, the protective coat for winter, and ceremonial costumes that are always remembered. Les Chaumes is set in the heart of the forest for the Forêt Monumentale event by Rouen Métropole. The installation is on display in the Roumare forest near Rouen from June 2024 to September 2026.

all images courtesy of Atelier YokYok

Coated with paint made of flour, linseed oil and black soap

Atelier YokYok wanted to use local materials for Les Chaumes, hence the use of thatch, which is readily available in the region of Rouen. By extension, it’s also a traditional roofing technique, using dry materials like straw and reeds. The thatch the design studio gathered for the totemic sculptures is about 30 years old. They emphasize that they didn’t cut reeds specifically for the installations, as they wanted to put forward the idea of reusing and revaluing waste. No wonder huts have become the key design for the sculptures.

These structures fit right into nature, within the forest in Rouen. Under the layers of thatch, the design studio builds a wooden foundation to frame the huts. These are boards assembled and cut into curved profiles in a workshop in Eure. They painted them with flour paint, a kind of Swedish paint made inside the workshop from flour, linseed oil, black soap, iron sulfate, and natural pigments. This coating provides outdoor protection to Les Chaumes, shielding the huts from moisture, insects, and fungi.

in the forest of Rouen in France, Atelier YokYok plants Les Chaumes

300 bundles of reclaimed thatch used for Les Chaumes

There’s a secondary structure in Atelier YokYok’s Les Chaumes, made of split bamboo. The design studio fixes it around the wooden frame using natural sisal twine. The final touches for the huts come through the reused thatch, recovered in bundles of reeds with the help of a seasoned thatcher.

The team adds that the reed stems were trimmed and then placed from bottom to top to allow for waterproofing. In total, there are 300 bundles of reclaimed thatch used for Les Chaumes. The installation is on display in the Roumare forest near Rouen from June 2024 to September 2026, coinciding with the exhibition at the Maison d’Architecture de Normandie (in Rouen), which runs until September 7, 2024.

the design studio wants people to step inside them and stick their heads out