Last October Altarea Cogedim announced the launch of an exceptional residential development, superbly appointed and delivering a true Riviera lifestyle.
“The guideline is to ensure the development has as light and discreet an environmental impact as possible so as to conserve the character of the site, forged by its marvellous situation and rich heritage.” No small challenge facing architect Jean-Paul Gomis: preserve the assets of a 46,000m2 estate in Nice’s Gairaut hills, with views sweeping round from Cap d’Antibes to Nice harbour, an estate written into the city’s history since it still harbours traces of ancient life – a Roman road – and was home to four generations of the Médecin family of local politicians. So it was decided to build just 25 apartments, in five small buildings. “We discarded the idea of apartment blocks as unsuited to the site, and of the rows of villas that mar the Mediterranean landscape.”
A remarkable natural environment
The final plans deliver a compromise between apartments and villas: single-storey ground-floor units giving directly onto the gardens plus duplex units opening onto panoramic terraces. To blend the development further into its surroundings, the architecture is deliberately horizontal and does not systematically make full use of the authorised height of nine metres, and natural materials such as wood and stone are being used. Landscaping is in the capable hands of Vincent Guillermin, who is concentrating on conserving and enhancing the grounds by restoring the stone terracing, restructuring an olive orchard of 250 trees, some at least 200 years old (the estate will produce its own oil), and planting fruit orchards (residents will share the harvests). This will valorise a remarkable natural environment that is also to house a practice golf course, a 2km pathway for walks, a swimming pool and a tennis court.
Resort services
The target clientele? Three categories of buyers: a local clientele living in villas in Gairaut but seeking more secure homes with easier maintenance; French and foreign – Russian, Scandinavian, British – holiday-home buyers; and two-home business people wishing to settle their families on the Côte d’Azur and commute weekly to work in their home countries. In other words, the upper socio-economic classes familiar with the standards of top-class hotels, which is why the estate will also provide resort-type services such as an on-site caretaker acting as a fully-fledged concierge, i.e. making restaurant and theatre bookings, accepting deliveries and so on.
These homes are priced from €8800/m² and are due for completion in late 2018.
Nice, 380 avenue de Rimiez
domaine-de-gairaut.com
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