Villa Cayola, a birch beach house in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, France

Architect Philippe Rizzotti Makes an Intuitive Connection with Nature

Nicknamed The Tree House, this holiday home in France disappears into the forest that shelters it while opening out to, and framing, the natural environment. Positioned just above the dunes of Cayola Bay, it's settled into the treetops just a few feet from the sounds and scent of the sea.

Designed by Paris-based architect Philippe Rizzotti, the building is a study in restraint of form and material, adapting to the site and absorbing the topography into the design in a “synthesis of conscious and intuitive connection.” Completed in 2019, the villa is featured in Where Architects Stay at the Atlantic Ocean (Braun Publishing, 2024) and was profiled by The Spaces in 2020.

Constructed entirely of birch plywood inside and out, the fabrication lends a natural element to the modernist design, creating spaces of intimacy and warmth inside, and discreet assimilation to the landscape outside. Its owners, France Durez and David Bour of La Petite Californie, built the villa with their friend and architect, and the construction is honest about its footprint: the structure is prefabricated, the insulation is made from recycled textile fiber, and every assembly above the basement is mechanical, designed to come apart at the end of its life. Chestnut ganivelles on the east facade carry climbing vines, folding the building into the pines.

Set on two levels, the communal living spaces include the living and dining areas and a gourmet state-of-the-art kitchen with walls of glass that open out to the terraces in an unbroken visual imprint that disappears into the forest.

Each level carries its own name and register: the semi-buried Minéral floor is wabi-sabi and cocoon-like, the Végétal ground floor runs birch panel from walls to shower stalls, and the Canopée level sits at treetop height. About half the furniture and objects are vintage, selected by France Durez.

There's a space dedicated to well-being with an indoor heated pool and a Finnish sauna to enjoy year-round, while the rooftop terrace overlooks the treetops and views of the Atlantic.

The villa stands on a sand dune, and the pine canopy sits at eye level from the living floor. Terraces open from the glass walls of the living spaces. An exterior stair climbs to the 80-square-meter rooftop, where an outdoor kitchen faces the Atlantic. A south-facing solarium adjoins the pool level. In front, the coves of Cayola Bay are swimmable.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire sleeps up to 12 guests. It runs to 270 square meters over three levels, plus the rooftop. Five bedrooms, each oriented toward the rising sun, and four shower rooms: two en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor garden level, three bedrooms and two shower rooms on the semi-buried lower level. A corridor leads to the pool and sauna; the open kitchen, dining, and living space occupy the top floor.

• Bedroom 1: King, en suite

• Bedroom 2: King, en suite

• Bedroom 3: King, en suite

• Bedroom 4: King, shared

• Bedroom 5: 4 singles, shared, children's dormitory

• 3 guest WCs

Experiences

Available on request (additional charge): private Ashtanga yoga, in-villa massages, and private chef dinners. Bikes are available on loan.

Good to know

Hosts live in the adjoining villa. The 10-meter pool is heated year-round, and heating throughout the villa runs underfloor. Children are welcome. Pets, smoking, events, and parties are not permitted. Photo shoots are permitted, on request.

Amenities & services

Indoor heated pool (10m), Finnish sauna, rooftop terrace (80 sqm), outdoor kitchen, outdoor barbecue, solarium, terraces, fully equipped kitchen (dishwasher, washer, dryer), TV lounge, wifi, underfloor heating, bike loan

Around

Located along the Cote Lumière on the Atlantic in the Vendee region of Loire, the small village of Talmont-Saint-Hilaire lies along some of the most beautiful and unspoiled coastal regions of western France, with some of the areas' best beaches including Le Veillon. With over ten miles of craggy cliffs, sheltered coves and marshlands, and long stretches of sandy beaches backed by forests, the area's great natural beauty has been declared a NATURA 2000 protection zone of great biodiversity.

Explore the 11th-century Chateau de Talmont with its extensive fortifications and fascinating ancient history. Part of the region renowned for its seafood, you can visit the covered market in town for some of the best oysters as well as local products.

Just minutes from the bustling seaside resort of Sables-d'Olonne, the town's promenade is lined with shops and cafés, a long sandy beach, and a large marina which is home to the Vendée Globe, the famous single-handed, round-the-world yacht race.

A half hour south is La Tranche sur Mer where you can launch day trips offshore to L’Ile-d’Yeu and Noirmoutier. The ancient harbor city of La Rochelle (known as the “White City”) lies just over an hour to the south and was one of the most important trade routes and ports and now features a modern marina as well as Renaissance history.