Eco 260: An Environmentally Friendly Retreat in Paradise

From humble beginnings, Bernard Gauthier now designs homes for himself around the world as a hobby.

And now the Frenchman chooses to spend about three months every year in his Hirafu labour of love – Eco 260. For Bernard, Niseko is paradise. “Here there’s peace and quiet, safety and no worries,” he says.

The 932sqm, six-storey, six-bedroom mansion in the Hirafu Middle Village was named after its environmentally friendly, self-sustaining features. And of course for its unparalleled 260-degree views from the huge open-plan living area on the top floor.

The environment is of utmost importance to Bernard and wife Lily. Eco 260 has 20 geothermal bore holes, all 115m deep, that provide all the heat required for the pool, jacuzzi, driveway and floor heating. When sunny, 54 solar panels produce enough power that it’s sold back to the national grid to offset winter consumption.

And as for the views, the outlooks from every room in the house are stunning. But perhaps the most spectacular, Bernard says, is Mt Annupuri at night. “It’s an amazing view of Mt Yotei to wake up to every day, but I find myself eating dinner facing the opposite direction to look at the mountain alive with skiers at night.”

Bernard designed every element of the house, from the giant swinging front door to the custom tap fittings. “I designed everything in the house because I know what I want,” he says. “I don’t want to live in a house of an architect – I want to live in my house that I designed.”

The piece de la resistance within Eco 260 is undoubtedly the 10mx4m stainless steel swimming pool – the only pool within a private residence in Hirafu. “What can I say, I wanted a stainless steel swimming pool,” Bernard says. “I have the same pool in Switzerland. I can’t explain it – with stainless steel you feel something great under your feet.”