The 'stealth' house in the cliff

MONACO Not only keeps the landscape intact, the house is also environmentally friendly thanks to materials and solar energy.

Nestled among the rows of apartments and villas on the French Riviera (Monaco) is one of the few remaining natural rocky outcrops. But inside the cliff is Villa Troglodyte - a 5-storey house, completed in 2019, designed by French architect Jean-Pierre Lott.

The house "stealth" in the rock is the subject of the owner, with the desire to have the least disturbance to the landscape and the most natural environment. So the architect put the house inside the cliff instead of building on top of it.

The facade of the house shows that it is almost invisible to the cliff.

Villa Troglodyte is 500 m2 wide, with terraces, windows and garages all placed deep inside the cliff to reduce the visual presence when viewed from the outside. To build the house, the natural stone ledge was kept intact and chiseled inside to make the ground floor. The upper floors are built of concrete, with the exterior surface mimicking stone.

The entrance to the house is a glass pedestrian bridge located on the ground floor, overlooking a swimming pool that simulates an underground lake. From the entrance, the void and glass panels provide views of the entire house. The living room and three bedrooms are located on the upper floors, connected by a steel staircase with glass balustrade.

The swimming pool on the ground floor simulates an underground lake in the mountains.

Each bedroom has a private bathroom and terrace. Glass is also used as a door to get light from the skylight and provide a view of the outside landscape.

The highlight of the design of the house is not only harmony with the landscape but also sustainability. Inspired by natural caves, the architect takes in the light with large skylights through all floors. The home's electricity is provided by solar panels and Monaco's geothermal wells.

Villa Troglodyte has 3 covered rooms with glass balustrades and walls.

The house is equipped with a wastewater recycling system to supply the toilet and washing machine. Every material is selected strategically based on sustainability. For example, the insulation is made from cork, the floor is made from recycled wood poles from an oyster farm, and the walls are painted with non-toxic lime.

"The house is a veritable environmental laboratory where high-performance engineering solutions are tested for energy efficiency, emissions control and environmental neutrality," said architect Jean-Pierre Lott. speak.

See more photos of Villa Troglodyte: