- Project: Le Clos Villa
- Architect: Bancaù Architectes
- Location: France, Mouans – Sartoux
- Year: 2023
- Area: 185 m2
- Photography: Bancaù Architectes
A Contemporary Ode to Mediterranean Living
Set within the warm landscape of southern France, Le Clos Villa by Bancaù Architectes embodies the timeless essence of Mediterranean architecture — sun-baked stone, shaded courtyards, and seamless continuity between indoors and out.
This residence is an architectural meditation on minerality, simplicity, and climate-responsive design. Through solid materials and soft light, it reinterprets regional heritage into a modern retreat rooted in its site’s geology and cultural memory.
Concept & Architectural Approach
Bancaù Architectes drew inspiration directly from the Mediterranean’s vernacular principles: monolithic volumes, restrained openings, and an ever-present dialogue with nature.
The project unfolds as a composition of simple, massive forms emerging organically from the earth. Each block corresponds to a distinct domestic function — living, resting, gathering — organized around a central patio, the emblematic heart of Mediterranean homes.
This intimate, shaded courtyard regulates light and airflow throughout the house, fostering cross-ventilation and social connection. In summer, it becomes a cool refuge; in winter, it serves as a sun-lit hearth.
Materiality & Constructive Logic
The design’s essence lies in its honest use of mineral materials. Rather than layering finishes, Bancaù Architectes chose to build with substance, emphasizing mass and texture over decoration.
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Massive Stone from Vers:
The ochre shell stone of Vers — quarried from nearby limestone deposits — grounds the villa in its native geology. Its strata and fossil traces narrate the passage of time while offering thermal inertia, natural humidity control, and full recyclability. -
Sanded Tinted Concrete:
Used alongside the stone, concrete was treated like a sculptural material — lightly sanded to reveal its golden tones and rough edges. It provides a tactile complement to the masonry and ensures structural stability. -
Recycled Site Aggregates:
During excavation, the architects reused every fragment of the site itself — stones, gravel, and topsoil — for landscaping and retaining walls. This circular approach blurs the boundary between natural and built environments.
Spatial Experience & Interior Atmosphere
Living in the Mediterranean means living outdoors, and Le Clos Villa extends that tradition with interiors conceived as natural continuations of the garden. Large, carefully framed openings capture glimpses of vegetation while maintaining privacy and shade.
Inside, oak joinery, lime-based coatings, and terrazzo floors evoke the region’s timeless palette — earthy, tactile, and cool underfoot. The interplay between sun-drenched exteriors and subdued interiors creates a rhythm of contrast that defines the dwelling’s character.
Landscape & Sustainability
The surrounding garden mirrors the house’s mineral spirit. Composed as a dry Mediterranean garden, it mixes grasses, succulents, and aromatic plants that thrive without irrigation.
Together, architecture and landscape form an ecosystem of resilience — celebrating the beauty of scarcity and the intelligence of climate-adapted design.
By minimizing mechanical systems and favoring passive cooling, local sourcing, and material reuse, Le Clos Villa stands as an exemplar of sustainable regional architecture in the French Riviera context.
Le Clos Villa by Bancaù Architectes demonstrates how contemporary design can emerge from ancient wisdom. Its solid stone walls, shaded courtyard, and natural material palette recall the timeless Mediterranean home — yet its minimal forms and environmental sensitivity root it firmly in the present.
This is architecture of permanence and place — a serene balance of earth, light, and life.
