Espace Sauzet and Carballar Architectes

Born in Ardèche in 1927, Maurice Sauzet studied at the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris during the 1950s. Quickly distancing himself from the functionalist principles that had prevailed in his education, he became interested in a tradition radically different from Western culture: Japan. He moved there to work with architect Junzo Sakakura, and became interested in Buddhism and traditional Japanese architecture. From this he learned that the house cannot be reduced to the functions assigned to it by the Corbuséan dwelling unit, but must be in harmony with the body.

Together with DPLG architect Camille Carballar, the Espace Sauzet agency is developing the principle of natural architecture, based on the bodily sensation of domestic space. Known as “architectural kinesthesia”, this approach leads the architect to pay particular attention to the transitions between the different rooms in the house, and to continuity with external areas such as the garden. The Japanese influence is blended with a respect for local memory: Sauzet houses reproduce a vernacular style (traditional tiles on low-sloped roofs, colors borrowed from old houses…).

Sauzet villas are mostly located around the Mediterranean (Côte d’Azur from Marseille to Antibes), where they reflect the local architectural style, but also near Lyon and elsewhere in France.

Japanese-style house with swimming pool: Built in 1997, this house in the heart of Aveyron illustrates the reconciliation of local architecture (low-sloped roofs covered in Canal du Midi tiles, ochre-colored walls) and Japanese tradition, as evidenced by the harmonious integration of interior spaces.