Villa Tranquille

Project Description

The « Villa Tranquille » or « Quiet House », designed by Artelabo is located on tiny plot of land with a gorgeous view of the Hérault Valley.

The overall geometry of the house is based on a repeated sequence of four volumes, set in a regular pattern, enclosed within a peripheral wall, with an arrangement of four courtyards within the dwelling.

Closed on three sides, the home is completely private and entirely focused on the landscape.

Its powerful contrast between its opaque and closed external appearance and the intensity of the light provided by courtyards enhance the presence of its interior space.A wide fixed frame in the living room and a large opening in the last patio extend the house into the landscape.

All rooms of the house open onto one, two or three courtyards, and because of the transparency, also towards the view.
A system of sliding doors is widespread around the project. Their alignment creates «enfilades» above the panorama.

The same flooring is used throughout the project, which blurs the interior spaces and those of the courtyards, which serve as living rooms and extensions of the interior spaces.

Designed for a Mediterranean lifestyle, the house can be opened day or night, making the outdoors part of the indoors.
It has a very white coating, a steel grid with motifs reminiscent of « moucharabieh », and a secret entrance opening onto a courtyard.

The basic shape of the exterior of the house refers to the archetypal image of the French « Provence » villa. However, the project stands out clearly from the traditional form, in terms of how it «deconstructs» and recomposes the elements in a new and unexpectedly expressive way.