A characterful hillside house with a garden overlooking the surrounding countryside, nestled in a highly sought-after residential suburb of Toulouse i
A characterful hillside house with a garden overlooking the surrounding countryside, nestled in a highly sought-after residential suburb of Toulouse in south-west France.
The city of Toulouse is the jewel in the crown of southern France. It has a wealth of built heritage that dates back to antiquity. Beyond its rich past, Toulouse, nicknamed 'the Pink City' for the pinkish-orange tone of its facades, is also a hub of innovation. Indeed, it is home to a cutting-edge aerospace industry. Toulouse is also the capital of France's Occitania region. The city is renowned for the quality and range of its higher education institutes, which include top engineering schools and other first-rate specialist schools. The property is nestled upon a hill in the Pech-David neighbourhood - a suburb in southern Toulouse. This district has good public transport links, including an urban aerial cableway. It is highly sought-after because of its lush environment and its sweeping views of the city and the Pyrenees mountains. A vast natural area here also forms a backd-rop for outdoor pursuits like hiking, cycling and paragliding. Moreover, the Pech-David district is known for its high-quality education institutes, such the University of Toulouse.
The property is part of a remarkable series of buildings that were unveiled in 1932 and were designed to provide the city of Toulouse with drinking water. You enter the property via a large gate framed between two pillars. The house is designed in the characteristic style of Toulouse's early-20th-cenutry architecture. It was built upon land above an underground aqueduct that runs through the Pech-David hill and joins a water-lifting station beside the River Garonne. The plot on which the dwelling stands is now private. This plot includes a paved driveway, a court where three vehicles can be parked, a covered garage, and an enclosed garden that enjoys absolute privacy and offers a 40m² terrace. The land that lies at a lower level and houses the aqueduct belongs to the city of Toulouse and cannot be built upon. This ensures that no neighbouring property on this plot will be built.
The houseThe house's unique appearance makes it stand out from the neighbouring properties on the hillside. The characterful edifice is square-shaped and is built of brick and stone. A frieze of ceramic tiles patterned with geometric motifs runs along the top of its elevations. It was probably designed by Jean Montariol, an architect nicknamed 'The Builder of Modern Toulouse'. You can find his architectural designs throughout the city. They include the emblematic municipal library of studies and heritage - an art deco edifice. The house's architecture also recalls several other remarkable buildings in the city. Indeed, its orange and cream strips seem to pay tribute to the elevations of Toulouse's famous Capitole building and several other local edifices. The house's elevations have been well preserved. The facade faces the city, overlooking it and offering a clear view of the plain below. The house's three other sides offer views of the Pech-David residential district.
The ground floor
The entrance door leads into an open space made up of a lounge and an open-plan kitchen. A steel girder and wall sections of exposed brickwork give the interior an atmosphere that is at once traditional and contemporary. The traditional brick wall that separates the two spaces has been opened up. Segments protruding at right angles to the outer walls have been kept. They stand out for their orange tone, which is characteristic of Toulouse. The kitchen is fully fitted with modern appliances. A glazed door and windows on all four sides of the room bring an abundance of natural light inside. The temperature inside can be adjusted all year round with a wood-burning inertia stove that can heat up the whole house into ...
