Eco-Friendly French Grange

PHOTOS & WORDS Lien Botha

Rural bliss is to be found just inland from the French Riviera, according to a South African concert pianist and her partner, who have built a completely eco-friendly and energy-positive abode that is a canvas for their creativity.

After two decades in their Cannes apartment, South African concert pianist Marika Hofmeyr and her partner, French architect Philippe Moonens, decided to take the rural plunge. They had felt an urge to move away from the madding crowd, so they started to look for a plot to build on. It was easier said than done, since affordable vacant land is a rarity on the French Riviera. 

They set their target on terrain slightly inland and found a chunk of paradise in Grasse, the world capital of perfumes, about 15km from the sea. The plot was steep, but it was landscaped with old stone wall terraces and opposite was a forest covering the north slope of a hill, with a rivulet from the Grand Vallon de Grasse at the bottom. 

According to Philippe, the simple four-faced house “is in keeping with traditional buildings in the area and a design brief that ignored preconceived aesthetic ideas. This meant that every function performed by the house was reconsidered from scratch.”

Constructed at the apex of the plot, the house is entered from the top floor, which includes the main bedroom overlooking the living space one floor below, and consists of a kitchen, dining area, fireplace and liberal working space for Marika and her Steinway. A large opening frames the north view of the overlooking mountain while seven floor-to-ceiling slit windows look east towards the site and the forest across the brook. 

The lower floor has a home cinema, a collapsible office for Philippe and two bedrooms – or rather alcoves, as there are no doors – but a continuous flow of space throughout the house.

An industrial staircase attached to the concrete floors and ceilings enhances the boldness of the non-intrusive decor, which provides an inspiring set-up for the creative activities of the inhabitants.

Every effort was made to create a self-sustainable structure, starting with 15cm-thick external insulation protecting the concrete shell from which thermal inertia regulates the temperature throughout the seasons. Two-storey-high adjustable shutters help to control the sun radiating through the double-glazed windows, which are better kept closed for optimal comfort. Taking advantage of the constant temperature deep in the ground, 75m-deep pipes allow the clean air to be pre-heated or pre-cooled before being blown into the house by dual-flow ventilation. In winter, wood is the only heating: the single closed fireplace warms the flow of air that sweeps through the house from bottom to top. 

Ambient lighting is provided by downlighting LED strips installed in grooves created when the concrete was cast. Since the roof is entirely made of photovoltaic solar tiles, the building produces more electricity during a year than it needs – the excess of which is reinjected into the grid.

Sustainability is not restricted to the building: a 20kL rainwater reservoir, combined with the neighbour’s spring, is sufficient for the garden watering needs. Organic waste is recycled into compost. Besides her commitment to the piano, Marika now also takes care of the numerous fruit trees and her cherished vegetable garden. The friendly neighbour supplies potatoes and eggs. A chunk of paradise indeed!