Ville I begins with the way a city can be lived when you have your own front door there. Walkability matters. So do neighbourhood life, architecture, cultural depth and the ability to arrive for a few days without feeling like a visitor.

The homes are deliberately more compact, but never lesser in quality. We look for good proportions, natural light, architectural substance and locations that make daily life easy beyond the obvious landmarks.

The five homes are not selected to fill five predetermined destinations. Most will express the city-led nature of Ville I directly; another may create contrast through mountains, coast or countryside if its scale, quality and role make sense within the whole.

A desirable address is not enough. Each home has to add something the others do not.

“The house always comes before the map.”