STYLE

At Nick Goult SARL we enjoy being able to work in a multitude of styles. It is the nature of our work that it is frequently the needs of the client and the existing building that dictate the style of the finished product. It is important that each particular project be properly understood and developed accordingly. To this end we provide extensive 3D-modelled images. This enables a client to be able to’ walk’ through their project prior to construction, giving a far greater idea of a project than 2D plans alone can convey.

Homes in the South of France are enjoyed in a very different way than homes in most other places in the world and it is important that they are designed accordingly. The extreme climate of the Cote d’Azur is not as kind as it may appear to those that spend only a few summer weeks a year here.

We have long hot summers but also reasonably cold winters, with the possibility of extremely heavy rains. Homes need to be designed to work year around with correct provision for shade in the summer and heating in the winter. For many clients the summer is the most important time of year and a home needs to be designed in such a way that the inside and outside areas can blend into each other, so that one can drift from poolside to house or house to terrace without effort.

We very much enjoy working in natural materials, local stone for walls, oak beams and oak trusses (left exposed in rooms where possible), and natural stone on floors. We have found that this slightly rustic style works very well in the more rural areas of the region whilst closer to the coast the design pallet is more formal.

THE ENVIRONMENT

We are very conscious or the importance of using environmentally sound practices in the course of construction projects. Our main focus is on sound construction practices, using long lasting materials. In order for a structure to be environmentally friendly it needs to pass three tests:

• It should be constructed of materials that do the minimum damage to the environment
• It should be easy to heat, cool and maintain.
• It should be built to stand for hundreds of years.

There are a lot of popular ideas about environmentally friendly buildings that frequently miss out on these fundamental points. A well constructed, properly insulated building correctly orientated on the site is hard to beat in terms of its environmental impact.