Palassou
property details
for a Hub House co-operative coliving project

Environment ✧ agricultural edge of lush mountains with meadows and woods; trails 10mins train

Services ✧ all

Access ✧ 10mins walk station: 3h Lourdes airport (2 changes), Toulouse/Bordeaux airport 4h30 (2 changes); Paris 5h or nightrain (both 1 change)

Area ✧ presentably unique little town, with its two deep rivers and buildings hanging over it crossed by old bridges; certainly it has its fair share of empty shops but several projects underway to reinvigorate, several streets paved with greenery and better layout, an abandoned 1700m2 building 10mins walk is being converted into a tiers-lieu with indoor japanese garden, resturant and uh just 23m2 of coworking space
✦ climate is temperate with lots of rain (much more than England heavaier over similar number of days, and more sun), nicest Jun–Oct which is rather short, nonetheless makes it very green and lush (unlike the south east!) but one has to be ready to take advantage of shower-free periods; given the otehr benfits I'm not covinced this is a bad thing as those with flexible timings simply work on less inviting days
✦ good coffeshop, bars and restaurants; organic bakery
✦ 15mins walk on lanes to a hillside walk but really requires a pickup to be interesting; possible 2h walk along river and back on other side via devils bridge; better 10mins drive
✦ 10mins bike to long gentle tracks through fields and woods with many variants, along river, or 15mins to good hills; many more options with quick train
✦ trains to bedous for good mountains
✦ 30 mins train to very nice little city of Pau (last 8:30pm) with lots of gardens and some novelty, although 10–15mins stroll and wait each end nontheless this is part of the outing
✦ massive indoor rock climbing gym next door
✦ rafting and kayaking at the door, canyoning and climbing not far
✦ 50mins drive mountain peak/spanish border for bike descents, a bit further for canfranc of which the train tunnel may reopen oneday
✦ bus to nordic skiing but only 1500m

Property ✧ whilst the town would benefit from a (good) coworking, there's not really enough capacity in this property thus would function only for occasional drop-ins
✦ good size 700m2 plot hanging above river (steep slope down with trees that is common land but could have a hanging terrace and perhaps surreptitious trail/hanging platforms)
✦ rather tatty but minimally usable
✦ lovely 100m2 partly cobbled courtyard which could be part covered with a 50m2 orangery
✦ 230m2 of garden, 50m2 signifcantly lower/sloped, most flat
✦ main building 95m2 on 2 floors plus 75m2 attic
✦ the ground floor has a large passage through but could be part used with a work-bar
✦ 65m2 annexe with 2 floors but in bad condition and needs complete restoration (ad says demolish)
✦ 50m2 shed, would need to be rebuilt and could thus have a roof terrace
✦ strong potential for a few newbuild mezzanine studios (reducing garden to 190m2 +100m2 courtyard/orangery)