Tom Kay Architect

1973 Solar house: Var district, France

The client, a politician, wished to build a holiday villa, with separate accommodation for parents, children and guests on a steep site.

The design went through three iterations, finishing up with a layout which looks as if it loosely tumbles down the slope. However, this is firmly held together by a grid of walls running North/South, allowing for a very simple set of roofs, spanning between them.

Each section has access to a terrace with views to the South. On the East side is the solar heated swimming pool and access is from the bottom of the slope.

Materials are traditional for the area, with Roman tiles, rendered walls and exposed timbers.

04-Solar house, Var-West Elevation

Solar house, Var: West Elevation

01-Solar house, Var-Site plan

Solar house, Var: Site layout plan

02-Solar house, Var-Upper Grund Plan

Solar house, Var: Upper Ground Floor Plan

03-Solar house, Var-Lower Ground Plan

Solar house, Var: Lower Ground Plan

05-Solar house, Var-East Elevation

Solar house, Var: East Elevation

06-Solar house, Var-South Elevation

Solar house, Var: South Elevation

07-Solar house, Var-Section 1

Solar house, Var: Section 1

08-Solar house, Var:   Section 2

Solar house, Var: Section 2

09-Solar house, Var-Section 3

Solar house, Var: Section 3

10-Solar house, Var-Section 4

Solar house, Var: Section 4

11-Solar house, Var-Section 5

Solar house, Var: Section 5

12-Solar house, Var-Section 6

Solar house, Var - Section 6

13-Solar house, Var-Revised Plans

Solar house, Var: Revised Plans