October 2014

Individual housing

  • Villa KT
 
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 prixindividuel-azuroct

The modestly sized Villa KT (90m²) sits on a sea-facing terraced plot in a part of La Turbie listed as of historical interest. It comprises three sections set around a patio: an entrance, a master bedroom with en-suite shower and toilet, and a living room/dining room/open-plan kitchen. The back of the house has no openings but from the front the owners enjoy a completely uninterrupted panorama of the sea. The circular living room channels the spontaneous sweeping gesture of the hand when you first discover this view. The east-facing windows are protected from the summer sun by broad concrete cappings and the roof is planted; this keeps the house naturally cool (there is no air conditioning). Two solar panels installed in the garden heat the water for the under-floor heating and cover most of the hot-water requirements all year round. The house is built of reinforced concrete and breezeblocks, with doors and windows that have thermal-break aluminium frames and glazing with reinforced thermal insulation (argon gas).


Opinion of jury

"This year's entries were extremely diverse and very varied in form. A number incited our interest and it seemed a pity to have to select one and not another. So we chose to flag up how the eclectic nature of architectural projects translates the diversity of demands, developments, scenarios, sites, clients, architects and budgets. It is therefore quite logical for diametrically opposed designs – small Villa KT and very large Villa Sud – to share a prize."