Hélène and Laurent had always dreamed of building their own house, but in crowded Paris, where they lived, it seemed impossible. So when the couple spotted a reasonably sized corner plot for sale in the eastern reaches of the city, they jumped at the chance.
“Opportunities to build in Paris are so rare. There’s hardly any land available,” says Laurent. “We had an apartment at the time, but this is like another world. The space is generous, the light is plentiful. There’s greenery everywhere – it’s like living in a garden.”
The pair approached Pablo Katz, an architect they admired for his forward-thinking designs. They worked closely with him over four years to design and build a house that balances cutting-edge contemporary design and technology with the needs of a young family. The couple prefer not to say how much they spent on the project, but it must have been a huge amount – their home stands out among the shared apartment blocks and small workers’ cottages typical of the area. The building’s three storeys are made from concrete and metal with large glass panes that fill each interior space with natural light.
“It’s a magical place,” says Laurent. “When friends come over, they’re surprised. Lots of them say they don’t even feel like they’re in Paris.”
Laurent says it was obvious to both him and Hélène that a modern house should also be eco-friendly. There are solar panels on the roof, a “living wall” of plants outside and an efficient double-flow ventilation system that recuperates heat that would otherwise be lost. Rainwater is collected and recycled to provide clean water to the kitchen and bathroom.
“It’s like a prototype for the houses of the future,” says Katz, who admits that the complexity and precision involved made the project a huge challenge, but also a fabulous opportunity for innovation.
“There was a very fluid dialogue between Hélène, Laurent and me,” he says. “I’d interrogate them about how they were living and how they wanted to live. They put a lot of trust into my work.”
The house is full of hi-tech features: the blinds open or close depending on the amount of light outside, and the sail-like parasol on top of the house closes by itself if a sensor detects that the wind speed is too high. There are screens and audio systems built into the walls, including one in the bathroom, because who wouldn’t want to watch the latest François Ozon release while soaking in the tub?
There’s even a whole floor for their daughter, says Katz. “We worked in a playful way to create a child’s universe, with different light systems in her bedroom. If she wakes up in the night and goes down the stairs to her parents’ room, the lights automatically go on to reassure her.”
Laurent and Hélène seem happy with their extravagant, luminous cube from the future. “Minimalist architecture can be pretty, but not nice to live in. But Katz has done an excellent job in making it a place we love living in, too. We’ve used classic materials. It’s not ‘fashionable’. And we use our roof garden for barbecues and parties. It’s not a cold house at all.”
