Villa Z

An old sandstone house on a hill above Batroun, with thick walls, arched openings and a view down the coastal hills to the sea. The family wanted to keep the house and live in it as a modern home.

Keep the stone, add the glass. The old house is restored as the entrance and the quiet rooms, its arches edged in pale terrazzo. A new volume in board-marked white concrete cantilevers beside it and holds the living floor, opening the whole width of the house to the sea. Walnut screens and travertine floors run from inside to out and tie the two together.