Description
A landscape house with panoramic views designed by Maurice Sauzet
On the heights of Lodève, between hills and valleys, this contemporary villa designed in 2006 by architect Maurice Sauzet is characterised by its clean lines and total immersion in nature.
Set in the heart of a 4,500 m² landscaped garden, this 250 m² villa is divided into several volumes arranged around a central patio, which acts as a light well at the heart of the composition.
The main wing features a superb reception area with mezzanine, a lounge, a library, a dining room and a fitted kitchen with utility room. On either side of the living area is a master suite with bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and terrace, and a bedroom with en-suite shower room.
Ideal for entertaining, the secondary wing on the other side of the patio features a living room/kitchen with terrace, two bedrooms and a shower room.
A carport for two cars completes the ensemble.
Set in a dominant position, the villa’s large, almost invisible picture windows provide a permanent link with the outside world, offering panoramic views over the landscape of hills and forests. The landscaping is part of the architectural design. Perfectly integrated into its environment, the structure is materialised by the interplay of roofs, while the recessed glass façades blend into the vegetation. Numerous gardens have been laid out around the buildings, creating a variety of plant and mineral atmospheres depending on the space.
The property enjoys a privileged setting in the heart of nature in Lodève, a town of art and history located 50 minutes from Montpellier and 80 km from the sea.
Introspection and connection with nature
Deeply inspired by Japanese philosophy, Maurice Sauzet’s architecture is characterised by a fundamental link between interior and exterior. It is not a matter of analogy (it does not reproduce the forms of Japanese buildings) but rather seeks to transpose a spatial experience, adapted to Western locations, architectural forms and uses. Based on the topography of the site, Sauzet develops an open composition, articulating masses and voids, areas of light and shade, horizontal and vertical lines. The living space thus takes the form of an architectural journey, based on the principle of discovering successive spaces.
Maurice Sauzet’s buildings are inextricably linked to the landscapes in which they are built. Taking account of the surrounding vegetation and its organic growth is an essential parameter of each project. The architect is also developing an intuitive approach to ecology, more ontological than scientific, based on the connection between man and nature. His projects incorporate de facto bioclimatic qualities: the wide roof overhangs protect the glazed surfaces from the summer sun, while allowing its rays to filter through during the winter, while the thermal inertia of the ground stones compensates for heat loss in cold weather.
Maurice Sauzet, creator of “natural architecture”.
After training at the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris, from which he graduated in 1957, Maurice Sauzet discovered Buddhist Zen architecture in Japan under the guidance of Junzo Sakakura Nishisawa, a disciple of Le Corbusier.
On his return to France in the early 1970s, the architect built his own house near Toulon, drawing inspiration from both Western modernism and Japanese tradition. It was a new type of architecture that set the tone for all his work, with almost 150 homes.
With the help of geographer Augustin Berque, author of “Vivre l’espace au Japon”, Maurice Sauzet developed the concept of “counter-architecture” or “natural architecture”. Putting façade and proportions in the background, this principle gives pride of place to the relationship between man and space. Maurice Sauzet’s homes are a series of paths leading from the outside in.
Maurice Sauzet’s adage is to consider the home in its relationship with nature. According to the architect, the essential thing is not the proportions or the quest for the perfect object, but rather the relationship created with the object and the way it feels.
Infos techniques
Asking price: €892,000
Fees included and payable by the vendor.
Freehold
Property tax: €2,825
Heating: Heat pump and fireplace
Land suitable for swimming pool
DPE: C – GES: A
Estimated annual costs: between €2,161 and €2,923 per year, average energy prices indexed to 1 January 2021