Located at 1,600 meters in the alpine resort of Auron in the French Alps, The Monkeys Cabana is a private luxury chalet in Auron designed by Joe Aoun. Its contemporary alpine architecture is paired with a carefully curated interior inspired by early 20th-century references.
Architecture & Site Strategy
Built on the final plot of its development and surrounded by existing constructions, the chalet elevates its main living spaces above visual constraints, opening views toward the Mercantour National Park, Isola 2000, and the Italian Alps.
A stone base grounds the lower levels, while Jura larch wood defines the upper floors, reducing perceived height and reinforcing a contemporary alpine identity.
Interior Curation & Heritage Pieces
The interior is conceived as a collected space rather than a decorated one. Early 20th-century furniture and objects sourced from Paris and Beirut flea markets shape the identity of the chalet and introduce depth, history, and character.
Key elements include a restored Hermès boutique cabinet, vintage game tables, reworked armchairs, and a 1930s bar with a mirrored back, each selected for its authenticity and integration within the architecture. These pieces inform the interior palette, influencing accent tones, textures, and spatial rhythm throughout the chalet.
Materials & Atmosphere
Material continuity reinforces the dialogue between old and new. Reclaimed Belgian wood flooring was adapted to modern insulation and underfloor heating, while local stone extends from the exterior into staircases and interior walls. Tinted larch wood appears on ceilings, built-ins, and headboards, establishing a warm and cohesive alpine atmosphere.
A subtle monkey motif runs throughout the interiors, offering a narrative thread without overt repetition. This playful presence gives the chalet its name, “The Monkeys Cabana,” introducing a light and unexpected identity within an otherwise refined alpine setting.
In the pool area, this narrative becomes more expressive through a large-scale mural created by two Lebanese artists. Extending from the walls to the ceiling, the artwork reinterprets the monkey theme with a bold, contemporary gesture, adding depth and contrast to the otherwise restrained material palette.
Living & Wellness Spaces
The main living level is designed around evening life after skiing. Dining, kitchen, and lounge areas are open and connected, encouraging shared moments.
The entry level introduces a more functional sequence, integrating ski storage, changing areas, and an indoor pool. Designed for direct return from the slopes, this level combines practicality with a strong architectural presence, shaped by material continuity and controlled lighting.
The top floor is dedicated to the master suite and a spa set beneath the exposed roof structure. A sauna and jacuzzi are integrated into this level, with roof windows and visual connections to the double-height living space below.
The Monkeys Cabana reflects JA Architecture’s approach to luxury interiors: a balance of heritage pieces, material integrity, and a curated narrative that extends beyond architecture.
Lanis stands on a steep plot in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, replacing a former mid-century house with a design generated directly from the land. Developed with complete creative freedom, the project follows the site’s contour lines, the coastal road alignment, and the compact mineral ground as its primary drivers.
A single continuous curve begins at street level and extends through the plan toward the pool terrace, where the architecture reaches its full expression. This luxury villa in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is defined by topography rather than frontage. Its geometry feels anchored, as if drawn directly from the terrain.
A Continuous Curved Plan
The curve defines both form and experience. Circulation flows without abrupt angles, ceilings rise in gentle arcs, and curved glazing opens wide views toward the garden and the Mediterranean horizon. A subtle horizontal shift between two identical volumes creates a sheltered entrance below and a terrace above, establishing depth through proportion rather than ornament.
This logic extends beyond the exterior form, shaping interior walls, ceilings, and spatial transitions with the same continuity. Movement through the house remains fluid and intuitive, connecting arrival, living areas, and private spaces in a continuous sequence. Within the landscape of high-end residential architecture in France, the geometry remains calm, controlled, and livable, an inhabitable architecture shaped by movement and use.
Glass Façade and Material Continuity
Material selection reinforces this clarity. The façade is predominantly glazed, allowing the architecture to remain visually light while expressing the fluid geometry of the volumes. Horizontal bands clad in white marble frame the glass envelope, precisely cut to follow each curve and installed as a ventilated system. Light moves across these surfaces throughout the day, revealing the building’s changing character.
Inside, oak parquet and marble flooring meet along clean lines, while timber-lined ceilings soften the mineral structure. Fully curved sliding and operable glazing dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior, allowing terraces and living spaces to function as one cohesive environment shaped by Mediterranean light.
Living and Exterior Sequence
The villa is organized as a continuous sequence of living spaces oriented toward the landscape. Reception areas extend toward the pool terrace, reinforcing the direct relationship between interior and exterior.
At the end of the architectural curve, the pool becomes a central element of the composition, extending the geometry into the open horizon. A dedicated poolhouse complements the main volume, integrating spa functions including sauna, hammam, and massage areas. This secondary structure expands the living experience, allowing wellness and outdoor life to unfold as a natural extension of the architecture.
Excavation and Integrated Access
Behind this fluidity lies rigorous construction. Excavation into the dense Cap-Ferrat rock allowed the creation of a peripheral technical void around the basement, ensuring durability over time and protection from humidity.
Vehicular access is resolved discreetly through a concealed lift at street level, finished with the same material as the roadway to remain invisible when closed. Below, a rotating platform allows vehicles to maneuver efficiently within the constrained site, preserving both landscape continuity and spatial coherence.
Lanis expresses a disciplined architectural approach where curve, material, and light remain in balance, a contemporary coastal residence shaped by its site and designed for a precise and continuous living experience.
Villa Libeccio is a high-end residential architecture defined by discretion and balance. The design is carefully composed so that the technical systems and everyday mechanisms of the house remain hidden from view. What remains visible is an atmosphere of calm continuity, where daily life unfolds smoothly and naturally. The villa functions almost like a quiet piece of music: its rhythm is present in every space, yet the precision behind it stays largely unseen.
Extending Geometry into the Garden
The villa sits on its coastal site with a calm and confident presence. Outside, the sculpted garden design continues the formal logic of the house, extending the geometry of this modern classical architecture into the landscape. A swimming pool forms the central outdoor element, reflecting the Mediterranean sky while capturing changing light and movement throughout the day. Together, the architecture and the garden create a balanced setting where the built environment and nature remain closely connected.
Material Balance and Artistic Presence
Inside the villa, a subtle dialogue unfolds between classical order and contemporary design. Materials such as marble, linen, and pale oak create a soft and luminous atmosphere. Carefully selected artworks introduce moments of contrast and intellectual depth within the calm interior palette. Furniture crafted with exceptional attention to detail occupies each space with quiet confidence, adding refinement without dominating the architecture. Every element from the movement of curtains to the feel of a door handle has been considered to maintain an atmosphere of restraint and balance.
Harmony Through Invisible Design
One of Libeccio’s greatest achievements is its ability to support the rhythms of family life without disturbing its calm composition. The house comfortably welcomes multiple generations, allowing grandparents, children, and guests to share the spaces naturally. Movement through the villa feels intuitive, as if guided by an invisible structure that organizes daily activity. In this way, the project reflects the principles of luxury coastal villa architecture, where elegance is expressed not through excess but through quiet harmony between people, space, and the surrounding landscape.
Totally integrated with its surrounding sites, this villa sits at the foot of the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat lighthouse, with which it entertains an open dialogue.
Its cubic shape and yellow stone facades with grey forays, characterize its contemporary architecture, further accentuated by the cantilever terrace that adds modernity of this element and overlooks the cliff. The swimming pool terrace highlights the extension of the interior spaces, offering a breathtaking panoramic view to the villa in an exceptional setting.
The naturally low garden is made of a combination of materials: cut stone and metal, breaking the verticality of the building and highlighting the modern aspect of the project.
On the forefront of the Eastern side of the Saint Jean Cap Ferrat peninsula, in a classified site, the reconstruction and interior arrangement of a villa with the creation of a swimming pool.
The complete integration within the site was achieved through the creation of two red bands that mark the upper levels of the building. Between these architectural lines, the black stone facades are merged with the windows.
An impressive cantilever, terraces on plots and a sliding glass door accentuated the particularities of this villa.
Nestled in the quaint village of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat and overlooking the main plaza, the Aoun & Vestri Gallery was rearranged in 2017.
The Aoun & Vestri art gallery is a prestigious concept that combines luxury and art. The project involved restructuring the internal space to feature three main
Exhibition areas that connect in a smooth, fluid and seamless way. Based on the application of a double metallic frame of construction grids, the space was conceived to be a black box; it is totally painted in black, including the walls and ceilings, while the floor is in dark gray cover.
LED lights are scattered everywhere on the ceilings, shedding the spotlight on the rare collection of artefacts, paintings, sculptures, furniture and jewelry
