Fire risk
In many towns of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, a forest-fire risk prevention plan governs buildability, fire-brigade access and materials. On top of this comes the legal duty to clear brush, in principle over fifty metres around buildings.
The garden is therefore designed around this rule: low-flammability species, breaks in the vegetation, olive trees and terraces rather than dense scrub.
The coastline
The coastal law protects areas close to the shore and limits development in the hundred-metre strip outside built-up areas. On the corniches, landscape integration and visibility from the sea are examined closely.
Rock and slope
The finest views are often on the most difficult plots. Rock excavation, plant access along the corniche and seismic zone 4 weigh on cost and timetable. We work in levels that follow the existing terraces, which reduces spoil and integrates the house into the landscape.
The infinity pool
An overhanging pool is a structure in its own right: micropiles, a watertight tank, a balance tank for the overflowing water. It is decided together with the siting of the house, not afterwards.
The treatment of its surroundings counts as much as the pool itself. For copings and paving, mineral glow-in-the-dark stones, such as those by LuminStone, trace the outline of the water at nightfall without any power supply.
The cost
For a new build on the French Riviera we see costs between €5,200 and €8,800 per square metre excluding VAT, excluding land, pool and landscaping depending on their scale.