Hamel

From the pavement the house is deliberately even: a flat roof plane carried across the full width, two bays of timber cladding set against pale plaster, and horizontal louvres over the upper windows that give privacy without shutters. The entry is centred and lit from above, olive trees stand either side of a lit path, and a slatted timber gate closes the side yard in the same boards as the facade, so the street reads one material rather than a house and a fence.

The garden side does the opposite and opens completely. The upper floor cantilevers out over the terrace to shade it, a glass rail keeps the balcony edge invisible, and the ground floor slides away along its whole length so the living room, the kitchen and the terrace become one space. The pool runs parallel to the house with a spa set into its end, the lawn is kept flat and simple between them, and a slatted fence carries the same timber around the boundary.