Contemporary Mediterranean

Placed on a private but classified domain in the South of France, this residence was, by law, to make use of local rock. Married to raw concrete, an element cherished by the architect Pierre Minassian, it blends in with its surroundings while standing out from the crowd.

What could be more fitting for this project concerned with respecting its southern French Mediterranean locality than contemporary minimalist architecture, which would allow it to shine with discretion? It all starts with a positioning of genius that follows the slope so that only the height of a half-story appears at its peak. Thus, the house does not shade, at any point, the much admired view of the nearby village. On the other hand, it delights its guests from a smooth perspective on the sea. Signed by Pierre Minassian, this construction presents two faces to the world. The first breathes the intimacy embodied by two protective shells: exterior in native stone and interior in raw concrete. The second is crystal clear, thanks to a glass facade with sliding panels, opening onto the terrace and its sea view. Upstairs, the volume splits in two, revealing a cautious staircase to the main patio entrance. In the basement, the master bedroom adjoins the living room and the kitchen, transforming these traditionally more public spaces into havens of peace. A character that turns into a summer bridge protected from the sun and ventilated by a conditioning system, orchestrated by the very assembly of the building and its multiple shutters. This ecological reasoning is complemented by the green roof with a dual role. Thermal insulator, it allows the home to be, for its environment, a chameleon.