Recreating dream houses

Established in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence since 1977, Lafourcade Architecture is now justly renowned for its restoration work on the most spectacular homes in Provence and the South of France. Mas, bastides, wine estates and châteaux in Provence, luxury hotels: for forty years Lafourcade Architecture has specialised in restoring private properties in the spirit of the 18th-century, an era that saw the apotheosis of Provençal architecture. 
Alexandre Lafourcade, who is self-taught, went to work with his father Bruno Lafourcade at the age of 15. He took over the business in 2012 after twenty-five years' experience of supervising large-scale architectural projects. He specialises in restoring stand-out properties, converting unremarkable buildings into bastides, and creating villas, while always keeping alive the Lafourcade spirit inherited from his father. This "Lafourcade spirit" symbolises the art de vivre while respecting traditional values, and it prioritises authenticity, high-quality materials and the traditional skills of local craftspeople. 

Alexandre Lafourcade takes a hands-on approach and is always passionately interested in every architectural project entrusted to him. As soon as he discovers a site, his imagination begins to work on how a neglected mas, farm or château might be transformed into an outstanding residence. He adds a personal touch, with his signature style combining a classic and timeless aesthetic with a modern art de vivre that makes full use of 21st-century technologies. Behind the impeccably symmetrical façades with their warm tones, Alexandre Lafourcade has paid special attention to aesthetic consistency, free-flowing circulation, distribution of space, luminosity, the comfort of the occupants and balancing the building with the external space. 
The gardens, in the expert hands of the renowned landscape architect Dominique Lafourcade, are also very important, because a garden is synonymous with the art of living. A garden is an outside room, a place to spend time with family and friends, a private space to recharge your batteries.
Lafourcade Architecture takes on major projects involving buildings with surface areas of 600 to 5000 square metres for highly discerning international clients. The family firm employs twenty people and relies on a design studio, partners specialized in the management and coordination of construction sites, a network of craftspeople who are specialists in restoration, and businesses that have worked diligently with Lafourcade Architecture for several years.

The family firm, which has a design studio, employs twenty people and has partners specialising in the management and coordination of sites. It also has a network of craftspeople who are specialists in restoration, and other businesses that have worked diligently with Lafourcade Architecture for several years.

Bespoke architecture

The restoration of a mas, a luxury hotel, a château, a villa, a farm or a wine estate always begins with an encounter. An encounter with the site of course, but also an encounter with its owner. Because the Lafourcade style also means a fondness for bespoke solutions: the desire and the ability to meet specific requests that are sometimes extremely complex. Daring projects, impressive undertakings made possible by the mastery of cutting-edge technologies: such as those used in the stunning venture that involved digging a tunnel to connect a hotel with its restaurant, at Château de Berne, Lorgues, in the Var.
Alexandre Lafourcade deliberates with his clients about the general aspects of a projects and their specific expectations... and new desires are kindled. This happened in 2015 when Lafourcade Architecture undertook the restoration of the Domaine de Fontenille in the village of Lauris in the Luberon. The original idea was to restore the Winery and convert it into a traditional and comfortable private residence. The meeting with the owners sparked excitement. The operation of the Winery was comprehensively reviewed, a new wine cellar was created and that meeting exceeded all expectations. This particularly audacious project resulted in a 4-star hotel and later in a luxury "Hotel Collection" which the owners quickly rolled out in France and elsewhere in Europe. This creation of luxury hotels opened up new horizons and new work opportunities for Alexandre Lafourcade, who has developed real expertise in the field, as testified by his extensive portfolio of highly-regarded projects.
Faced with the increasing rarity of outstanding properties, Alexandre Lafourcade set out to transform unattractive buildings into bastides which, post-restoration, look as if they have been there forever. For Alexandre Lafourcade, nothing is impossible if the place and its surroundings are worth the effort. To meet the expectations of clients seeking an elegant residence, he converted a vegetable storehouse and its car park into a loft apartment; he completely transformed an undistinguished farmhouse into a bastide in the spirit of the 18th century, for English clients who had been dreaming of just such a property looking over Mont Sainte-Victoire.