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

Environment ✧ pine and scrub woods, rocky little river valleys; hikes on doorstep

Services ✧ all

Access ✧ bus/station at door: 1h Nimes / 1h30 airport, 2h15 Marseille/Montpellier airport, 5h Paris/Barcelona (2 changes)

Area ✧ this little town is fairly pretty and lively with a good market and some cafes (including a salad bar) etc, multiple good restos, plus sushi and burgers
✦ the main town of Alès used to be rather ugly yet is undergoing rehabilitation notably with a new market hall and square planned for reopening in 2025, it's moderately lively and has tons of shops and restos, even an icerink
✦ in 2028 the railway line will be reopened bringing the main town to 20mins, until then the bus is reasonably good at 30mins (last 6:30pm) however visits would be minimal, mainly for access
✦ onward connections have good choice; Nimes airport is a train then shuttle and normally has year round service to Stansted and Brussels, plus seasonal to Luton and Morocco; many more options including Lisbon from both Marseille and Montpellier
✦ last train from Nimes is at 9:20pm which isn't bad, but last bus 6pm thus late arrivals would require pickup but should be avoidable

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the river at the door isn't good for swimming though fine nearby for a splash, better and kayaking 20mins walk, or bike/bus
✦ 10mins walk to tennis, and a garden with a small natural rockface for climbing
✦ good variety for biking some trails reaching 600m (400m ascent) along a ridge for 4h there and back. amongst many others
✦ with the train to Besseges there'll be even more paths and trails
✦ 3 hikes/walks start 10mins along lanes with circuits and strolls possible, one to a ruined fort (being rebuilt by an association), a short drive gives more variety such as these lovely eroded pools 30mins drive (1h15 bike) good gorges with sup/kayak/climbing, and heights around 900m at a pretty village, plus the pont d'arc are 30mins drive
✦ for daytrips the nice little towns of Uzes and Andouze are a reasonable 45mins drive with the famous Pont du Gard at 1h
✦ winter climate is pretty good with an entire third of days clear and just a few of snow, though gets bursts of very heavy rain in spring and autumn and this is getting worse, with little rainfall the rest of the year

Property ✧ compare with #289 just up the line in Bessages, which is quieter and larger if a bit more expensive at 90k and would accommodate dedicated rooms/studios, but an unremarkable village
✦ it's been dilapidated for ages would prob accept 68k, maybe less; for sale since 2014; direct sale plausible as number is visible
✦ would be a veritable little satellite but is in fact rather too small (and lacking a garden) given how appealing the area is; also compare with other buildings in the same town which are circa 130k and twice the size with potential for better roof terrace(s)

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each floor 60m2, of which some is stairwell
✦ solid and shell has mostly been cleared though some (partition?) walls remain, but could be quickly usable
✦ front/south has 3 windows but onto a road (busy in summer, not really otherwise)
✦ side/west has 1 window (actually 2 but second is for stairwell) onto a tiny slightly ungainly square at the side of the road, however there's a bench and space for some unofficial ones
✦ ground floor has 4 large entrances/windows plus a side door (one is blocked up and might be desireable to keep as such, regardless these would all be half blocked to become windows; would need double glazing); would be workspace and lounge
✦ 1st floor would be kitchen/dining; 2 balconies (each side); 1 ensuite or basic room
✦ 2nd would be rooms, probably 6 pods with balcony, plus 2/3 bathrooms
✦ 3rd would be rooms, probably 3 ensuite, 1 basic
✦ attic would be great for pods, but even better if part removed as roof terrace (e.g. north/west 15m2 triangle) giving good views, perhaps with the other (south) as part conservatory, remaining as covered lounge/workspace
✦ roof is okay but there's beams (joists/ties) apparently too low to walk under (despite the implication it's ready to convert as an additional apartment) thus would need raising (not too hard, there's already a floor height access window to bring in new joists if not reusing; however

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there would be two main interchangable common spaces, when the workspce is used for gatherings/films, the roof lounge would be quiet, whilst the workspace would mainly be quiet during the day, with the roof and kitchen lively; the kitchen regrettably wouldn't be larger but having 2 balconies would probably be good for hanging out, it would also be open to the stairwell thus gaining size
✦ it would be plausible to add a small callroom in the roof with one of the round windows
✦ as a satellite people needing to make calls would need to take a room, and everyone else would be obliged to not (the roof lounge would often have music),

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facade as ever is horrible cement (but not crepis) and would be a fair bit of work/cost to strip so better to cover with a mural