Villa MR: A 1960s House Transformed into a Modern Residence

Atelier Archiplein has transformed a 1960s house in the hills of Annecy, in France’s Haute-Savoie region, into a modern residence. This renovation and extension project has created a dialogue between past and present, reinterpreting the original architecture through a contemporary lens.

A house with panoramic windows on Lake Annecy

Commissioned by an entrepreneur in the 1960s, the home offers panoramic views of Lake Annecy, including from a new extension on the garden side. This new element enhances the building as well as its relationship with its natural setting by providing a new outlook on the lake.

Blurring the boundaries between inside and outside is a central element of the project, revealed in details such as the large ribbon windows that bring the landscape indoors to become part of life in the home.

The renovation project involved all three levels of the existing building, which initially featured small, independent rooms unsuitable for contemporary lifestyles.

Atelier Archiplein rethought the internal layout to create flowing, functional spaces. The project has highlighted the building’s load-bearing structure, treating the reinforced concrete frame as an aesthetic feature.

Materials and details that tell a story

The interiors feature a palette of neutral colors, with shades of gray and accents of sage green used for the kitchen finishes and cabinetry.

The design team’s attention to detail is clear right from the entrance, where a wall with a picture rail incorporates both a fireplace and a row of columns from the original façade.

A distinctive element of the project is its revival of the styles and colors of the 1960s. Tyrolean plaster, wood inlays, and light gray terrazzo floors recall the home’s original personality, now harmonized with the exposed concrete elements.

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