Description
Brutalist Geometry Between Valence and Tain-l’Hermitage
Designed by architect Marie Adilon, this raw concrete house with graphic lines was built as a belvedere overlooking the Rhône Valley, on the foundations of an old stone building.
On a landscaped property of over 5 hectares (50,480 m²), planted with numerous fruit trees and a vegetable garden, the house offers approximately 250 m² of living space over two levels.
The main level includes a central entrance leading to an open living space with four-way orientation, consisting of a living room with a wood-burning stove, a dining room, and an open kitchen with independent access. The living room opens onto a semi-covered suspended terrace of 30 m², while the kitchen benefits from a second terrace. An outdoor path leads to a 5×10 meter outdoor pool, surrounded by wooden and concrete terraces.
The central section of the house includes the master bedroom with terrace access, a walk-in closet, a bathroom with both a shower and a bathtub, separate toilets, and a 23 m² office.
The third wing, with independent access, hosts three bedrooms, a bathroom, a shower room, and toilets.
The lower garden level includes several rooms converted into a playroom, workshop, and laundry room, along with a cellar and a vaulted wine cellar.
The property also features a former barn of 90 m², a converted caravan used as a tiny house with three sleeping spaces, a treehouse, and a belvedere overlooking the Rhône Valley.
A 60 m² carport that can accommodate four cars completes the property.
The property enjoys a preserved natural environment, just 10 minutes by car from the town center with shops and amenities. It is 25 minutes from the Valence TGV train station, which connects to Lyon in 1.5 hours and Paris in 2 hours.
© Blaise Adilon
A topographical architecture
Derived from the elevation of an old stone farmhouse, the building unfolds three prismatic volumes of reinforced concrete, which gently blend into the rugged terrain and grand landscape. The broken lines of the raw concrete interact with the rock, the local garrigue vegetation, and the path of the sun, which sculpts the volumes in a constant play of shadow and light. The minimalist façades are marked by the free geometric composition of the openings, sometimes circular or square, wide or narrow. Integrated gutters, simple V-shaped gargoyles, allow rainwater to flow naturally toward the garden. The only colorful element in the architecture, an enamelled sandstone plaque by Georges Adilon, adorns the main entrance of the house.
© Blaise Adilon
Living the landscape
“Something of the beauty of the world constantly enters through the large circular or square picture windows that frame the landscape in a different way, freely…”
Brigitte David, Marie Adilon, architect, 2024
Inside, the oblique lines of the floor plan create a sense of openness and space. In every room, the thick walls are lined with shelves, cupboards, integrated niches, and ledges, a design approach reminiscent of the various works by architect Georges Adilon. The simplicity of the material palette used – polished concrete floors, raw concrete ceilings, and structural elements, enhanced by the smooth white expanses of the walls – contrasts with a few bold touches of color. This minimalist approach gives pride of place to the landscape, which is ever-present in each space through the numerous windows of various shapes that frame the panorama.
© Blaise Adilon
Living the landscape
Inside, the oblique lines of the floor plan create a sense of openness and space. In every room, the thick walls are lined with shelves, cupboards, integrated niches, and ledges, a design approach reminiscent of the various works by architect Georges Adilon. The simplicity of the material palette used – polished concrete floors, raw concrete ceilings, and structural elements, enhanced by the smooth white expanses of the walls – contrasts with a few bold touches of color. This minimalist approach gives pride of place to the landscape, which is ever-present in each space through the numerous windows of various shapes that frame the panorama.
Technical info
Asking price: €1,250,000
The seller is responsible for the fees.
Full ownership
Property tax 2024: €2,560
Heating: Non-reversible air-to-water heat pump (PAC), underfloor hydraulic heating, 1 electric heater
Air conditioning
© Blaise Adilon
Energy performance certificate (DPE): IN PROGRESS