Green and houses, it would be hard to imagine greater contrasts. But looks can be deceiving. Although they may seem complete opposites they do need each other, more over, they can’t do without one another. A house is a part of nature and forms part of its surroundings. SEED architects’ ‘La Maison Verte’ which is located in Saman, Midi Pyrenees (France) is a fine example of this theory. With its 360° orientation, it fits perfectly into the surrounding landscape. The entrance and main elevation are located on the north side, a large telescope faces the rising sun to the east, an open living room with a shaded terrace faces the south and a terrace that catches the last rays of sunset to the west.

Sustainability is an inherent part of the architecture. This is expressed by the use of local building materials e.g. stone and timber roof shingles, ample flexibility in the layout, abundant natural daylight penetration and rotating solar panels as a roof garden.

‘La Maison Verte’ is proof that the luxury required for holiday homes can be combined with sustainable design, as is shown by using the volume of water that is used as the swimming pool for the greater part of the year as a heat and cold storage reservoir.