Traditional Lozère Houses

The Lozere is one of the less know and rugged department of the Languedoc Roussillon region where stone is definitely the dominant building material.

Lozere houses are generally made of grey or beige Granite stone or basalt, schist. Calcareous stones are often used, some of them being yellow / golden.

All these colours give a strong character to houses in this area of the Languedoc. Lozere roofs are made of Lauze, a variety of slates found in the region’s rivers.

The traditional Lozere architecture makes the best use of the region’s assets since many of the local property types use the local materials.

In this upland area of the Languedoc Roussillon, winters are cold with often widespread snowfall. The front façades of Lozere houses generally face the south or the east to benefit from the warmth of the sun.

The rear of the house is often built against the hill side. This allows an access to each level from outside the house without stairs or a ladder.

These traditional French houses are in an L shape, or built in a row. There are generally one or two storeys, not more, due to the heavy weight of the stones used. Walls are finished using cob and clay as an insulating render.

Some extremely rare Lozere houses have a thatched roof instead of Lauze slates. The higher the altitude, the more steeply pitched the roofs become as in most upland areas of France. This can be explained by the amount of rain and snowfall in this area of Haut Languedoc.

• Next: Causses Traditional House


• Summary of Languedoc Roussillon Architecture