Maison SE: Hillside House Immersed in Light and Provence Views
Maison SE sits in the hills above Aix-en-Provence, France, where Isabelle Berthet Bondet arranges a 350 m² house as an extension of the surrounding pines. Broad glazing, deep terraces, and long rooflines draw the eye out toward the southwest horizon while sheltered rooms encourage slow, everyday rituals. The result is a relaxed contemporary residence that treats the Mediterranean landscape as its primary interior surface.
A gravel path winds through tall pines before the house comes into view, a low stone base and slender upper volume stepping along the hillside. Wide overhangs shade ribbons of glass, so the first impression is not façade but the sweep of valley and sky held in the panes.
This 350 m² house in the hills above Aix-en-Provence is conceived by Isabelle Berthet Bondet as a porous dwelling that leans into its Mediterranean setting. Openings track the sun and breeze, terraces read as outdoor rooms, and every level seeks a direct line to trees, garden, or distant ridge. Everyday life unfolds against this constant dialogue with the landscape, which remains the quiet protagonist.
Shaping Views And Volumes
From the garden, the house reads as two stacked horizontals: a grounded stone base and a lighter timber-clad upper floor that projects toward the view. Large, “Z” shaped windows cut into these bands, bending around corners to catch different angles of sky and slope in a single glance. Sliding panes pull completely aside so that living rooms open straight onto gravel terraces, turning thresholds into broad platforms for lingering at dusk.
Inside, a central stone fireplace anchors the main level while remaining low and open enough not to break the sightlines across the plan. Furniture groups cluster loosely around it, so circulation drifts around soft seating rather than along rigid corridors. Shadows from the surrounding pines slip across floors and walls during the day, constantly redrawing the perceived depth of each room.
Living With The Garden
Ground-floor rooms spill into a sequence of outdoor settings, each tuned to a moment in the day. A covered dining terrace stretches from the kitchen, its ceiling lined with warm-toned wood that continues the interior soffit just far enough to feel sheltered. Beyond, an open lawn leads toward the pool, punctuated by planted beds and existing trees that filter views between lounging areas.
Along one edge, low stone walls form a sunken sitting nook with woven shade sails overhead. Deep cushions, small timber tables, and the sound of wind moving through nearby foliage give this corner the character of an exterior living room. Paths of pavers and gravel link these destinations, so walking the garden becomes a slow loop of alternating light and shadow.
Rooms On The Horizon
Upstairs, bedrooms sit almost flush with the tree canopy, their glass walls framing the valley and distant hills as if they were a moving mural. A timber terrace runs along the façade, guarded by a simple glass balustrade that keeps the visual field clear while allowing chairs to sit right at the edge. With the doors open, the line between interior floorboards and exterior decking feels barely perceptible.
Bathrooms continue this outward gaze in more intimate ways. One freestanding tub rests against a full-height glazed wall, giving the bather a close reading of the planted slope just beyond. Another room aligns its long built-in bath with a corner window, so the act of bathing picks up the same horizon line as the bedroom next door.
Material Echoes Of Place
Throughout the house, wood, stone, and aged roof tiles echo the textures of the surrounding terrain. Rough masonry on the lower level matches the tones of nearby outcrops, while vertical timber siding on the upper floor relates quietly to the pine trunks rising beside it. Inside, smooth timber cabinetry, dark flooring, and bold, sculpted seating pieces create a tactile contrast yet remain grounded by the ever-present view.
A slender metal structure holds the broad roof plane aloft without intrusive columns, letting it read almost as a floating canopy above the upper terrace. That shade deepens the connection to climate, tempering summer heat while framing longer vistas under its edge. As the light shifts from morning clarity to the warm saturation of evening, the house recedes visually and the hillside, garden, and sky step forward once again.
Photography courtesy of Isabelle Berthet Bondet
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