Project manager & renovation in Menthon-Saint-Bernard.

Set against the slopes of the Roc de Chère and dominated by the silhouette of its medieval château — one of the most photographed in Haute-Savoie — Menthon-Saint-Bernard occupies one of the most sought-after positions on the east shore of Lake Annecy. Between Veyrier-du-Lac to the north and Talloires-Montmin to the south, the commune is lined with character villas, family estates and second homes facing the water, with morning light on the lake that gives its land all its value.

This prestige comes at a price: few communes combine so many layers of protection. The château, a historic monument, creates a perimeter in which the ABF heritage architect (Architecte des Bâtiments de France) must approve everything visible from the building; part of the commune is a listed or registered site as part of the lake landscape; and the Loi Littoral strictly regulates development near the shore. Building or renovating here cannot be improvised: it starts with feasibility and integration work.

Our office is in Aix-les-Bains and we work regularly around the lake. For a project in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, this local knowledge — planning departments, ABF heritage architect requirements — saves valuable time and secures approval from the first application.

The Menthon-Saint-Bernard market is unusual: many properties are second homes whose owners live in Geneva, Paris, Lyon or abroad and cannot follow a building site day to day. On top of this there is a stock of villas from the 1960s-1990s to modernise — large volumes, wide windows facing the lake, but with insulation, heating and windows that have become obsolete. Demand is less for new builds than for quality renovation and energy upgrades of these properties.

Our role as project manager is to turn an aspiration — opening up to the view, enlarging a living room, redoing a master suite, improving thermal comfort — into a costed, approved and managed project. We draw up the plans, submit the planning applications, tender to contractors, coordinate the trades and supervise through to handover. For a remote owner, this full delegation is decisive: a single point of contact, regular reports with photos, and a property handed back ready to live in.

Three frameworks overlap in Menthon-Saint-Bernard. First, the Loi Littoral, which applies to all communes on the shore of Lake Annecy: it imposes a 100-metre no-build strip from the shore outside built-up areas, limits the extension of development to continuity with existing buildings and protects green breaks. Next, the opinion of the ABF heritage architect (Architecte des Bâtiments de France) within the protection perimeter of the château and listed sites: render colours, roofing materials, fencing and volumes are examined in terms of intervisibility.

Finally, the municipal local plan (PLU) specifies, plot by plot, the natural zones (N), footprints, ridge heights, roof pitches and permitted material palettes. The classic mistake is to draw an appealing project and then discover it cannot be built on the chosen plot. We work the other way round: buildability analysis and early dialogue with the ABF first, then design within the envelope that is actually permitted. It is the best guarantee of a permit granted without back-and-forth.

Atelier NovAlp's strength lies in a rare set-up: architect, project manager and RGE-certified general contractor under one roof. In practice, the person who designs your project is also the one who manages the site and commits the company to the result. You do not have to orchestrate an architect on one side, a project manager on the other and a dozen tradespeople to chase: we take care of it all.

For a prestige project in Menthon-Saint-Bernard, this turnkey arrangement brings three things: continuity between the architectural intent and its detailed execution (premium materials, bespoke details), a clear commitment on price and timescale, and a single point of contact reachable at every stage. Depending on the floor area and your priorities, we adapt the contractual framework — architect's assignment above 150 m² of floor area, project management or general contracting — without ever making you change team. Discover the details of our services or our dedicated page for Annecy and the surrounding area.

Many villas on the east shore were built before the first thermal regulations: large, poorly performing glazed areas, weak insulation, energy-hungry heating. Energy renovation brings a double benefit here: comfort — no more cold from the windows in winter or overheating in summer — and the heritage value of a property with a better EPC (DPE) rating.

Atelier NovAlp is officially RGE CertiRénov certified, no. CR-2026-73-0095 (Offre globale de rénovation, under Qualitel — CERQUAL certification). For eligible works, this qualification gives entitlement to MaPrimeRénov' grants and Energy Savings Certificates (CEE). Insulation, replacement of large windows and doors, heat pump, ventilation: we design a coherent package of works, cost the out-of-pocket amount after grants and manage the works. The aesthetic constraint remains central — materials and colours compliant with ABF requirements — to reconcile performance with respect for the site.