Each building owner is supposed to renovate the facade of their home every ten years, “according to the Construction and Housing Code. In addition, municipalities can institute compulsory renovations, with the possibility of fines in the event of non-compliance,” indicates Brest Métropole. “For this, they must deliberate and be included on a list kept at the prefecture. This is not the case for Brest or other municipalities in the metropolis which have not made this choice. In short, here, there is no risk of sanction.
But it’s not just about looking pretty. “The facades show micro-cracks with wear, favoring fungus, rot or infiltration,” recalls the community. The local climate, as we know, is particularly suitable for this. “This also makes it possible to repaint the shutters, fight against the corrosion of the railings, check the condition of the wooden frames, repair the damage to the anchoring of the guardrails… The more we allow a facade to deteriorate, the more extensive the work could be. , and above all well beyond what seems to many to be a simple lick of paint.”
In or outside the protected area
A renovation must be declared. You can ask for advice on colors but anything is allowed in their choice. Except in the remarkable heritage site of Brest, which is more regulated. To simplify, let’s say the center rebuilt after the Second World War. It is necessary to respect the color chart of the metropolis, “softer than what we see in Kerigonan”, the most colorful district of the city, explains Hélène Magueur, of the Architectural and Urban Council of Brest Métropole.
A now famous district, where “certain colors go a little far and age poorly”, notes Olivier Thomas, the architect of Bâtiments de France, whose office is located… just opposite. Today, certain colors would probably not work. An obligation to redo could also be imposed by the public prosecutor, possibly with a daily fine which could amount to hundreds of euros. According to the Brest prosecutor’s office, this has not happened, at least in recent years. Probably never even.
“Compared to the harmony of the street”
“To give my agreement,” continues the architect of Bâtiments de France, “I analyze the request in relation to the harmony of the street and the typology of the building. These interwar constructions were originally planned to be colorful. Their slightly rough Tyrolean coating catches the light differently and supports more intense colors,” he recalls, however. “Regarding the neoclassical of the end of the 19th century, it was the sand used which gave its color to the facade. The shutters and joinery added a more sustained touch. This is the case in Recouvrance or Saint-Martin, the suburbs not necessarily demolished. We are pushing to restore the shutters.”
And then there is the city rebuilt in the 1950s. “The idea was to bring light there, with light. The rue de Siam will not become a rainbow. This is not the wish of the Metropolis and I would refuse such requests. It is a great perspective which leads the eye towards the sea: it is not a question of disturbing it. But the buildings have lots of details: cornices, hollows, reliefs. We can add shades of color,” suggests Olivier Thomas.
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