Transforming a 1980s property into a stunning contemporary villa
Over the past 7 months we have been working on a major renovation project in the pretty village of Valbonne in the Côte d’Azur. In July the transformation is close to completion changing a 1980s terracotta red building into a smart, contemporary and highly energy-efficient villa.
This renovation is a great example of transatlantic working! Our clients are American and they appointed a US architect to prepare the designs and drawings. Because the architect uses imperial measurements, we worked with a local architect to convert the plans into metric and draw them to scale.
The US architect designed the scheme as a wooden building which is commonplace in his native California. We, however, used a traditional block and beam method using concrete blocks, adapting his ideas to suit local conditions.
The façade of the building has received a significant make-over. The old house had windows of different sizes, widths and randomly spaced around the property. We removed all of the windows, replacing them with tripled glazed aluminum framed windows fabricated in Germany and extremely energy efficient, with inbuilt cooling systems to prevent condensation. All of the windows are versatile using a ‘twist and turn’ design and are now perfectly spaced and symmetrical.
Every homeowner will know the importance of a sound roof. Our clients are no exception. We have laid an entirely new roof using reclaimed tiles to create a beautifully aged effect. It looks superb.
We have renovated the terrace area by leveling the surface to deal with a previous problem of water not draining away. Beautiful new Travertine tiles have been positioned onto the terrace as well as inside the house, the external tiles have a special non-slip substance applied.
Water is a precious resource of course, especially during a long hot summer. So we have installed copper guttering to take the rainfall into hidden drainpipes at the side of house, which then flushes into a hidden drain and finally ends up in a 10,000 litre holding tank. There is also 100 meter deep well that slowly pumps water to fill up the tank.
It’s been an exciting project and we are proud of the work that we have undertaken.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss how we can help you with any renovation or other projects.
GM Renovations is the leading certified and trusted English-speaking Renovation and Plumbing company based on the French Riviera. We have been renovating to a very high standard and installing advance HVAC systems for 20 years and have been based in Antibes since 2006.
I have created a team of highly skilled tradesmen to complete full renovation works. We specialize in all types of work including building, renovating and creating luxurious bathrooms, electrical work, we are the complete renovation company with a very high standard of work. We cover all works in and outside your villa or apartments.
Contacts:-
Phone: 04 93 67 69 96
Email: info@gm-renovations.com | glen.malton41@gmail.com
Web: https://www.gm-renovations.com