On the Arcachon basin, a villa in harmony with the dune

Once these architectural singularities have been observed, Mardi first sets out to lighten the facade, by placing a wooden clerestory on the stone base so that it blends more into the landscape, while retaining the modern spirit of the structure. The walls are repainted white and the joinery replaced with exotic wood (weather-resistant). The architects also called on a landscaper to recompose the surroundings of the villa and put it fully in tune with its environment: the dune, the vegetation, the wood chips from the Landes forests, the pignots from the oyster farms… The most important element history of the house, its stone staircase, is preserved in order to maintain the link with its initial DNA. “Finally, we linked the past of the building with our intervention and the landscaping, to obtain a coherent whole. »

These architectural codes from the 1960s, mixed with the analysis of the landscape, give architects a starting point for the interior, which will only be an extension of the exterior in the choice of its colors and materials: a simple envelope , white, contrasted with dark wood and natural tones. “Inside, our main work was to stage this extraordinary and rare view of the basin, indicates Tuesday. We quickly made the choice to favor living rooms on this panorama.” In the living room, the ceiling is removed to obtain double height and gain breathing space. The furniture, (almost) entirely custom-made, is designed in simplicity, using walnut. which evokes the identity of the house and contrasts well with the white of the walls”. As for the floor, it uses travertine throughout the rooms, right up to the bay windows, to create real visual continuity with the sand. “We made simple choices, summarize the architects. Three exterior themes (the white facade, the dark joinery, the dune), three materials (the light walls, the walnut, the travertine) » — giving the whole thing a slight Japandi side.