Countryside living is about so much more than lofty barn conversions and rustic chateaux – it creates space for innovation and experimentation, as this French brutalist property attests.

Inspired by Le Corbusier’s geometric forms, the architect-designed villa is on the market via Espaces Atypiques for €580,000. It was constructed in 1979 and hunkers down on a 1.7-hectare plot, overlooking a valley in Digne, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

The brutalist property’s concrete skin has taken on a craggy appearance over time which beds it into its leafy setting. Meanwhile, its clean lines are punctuated by generous curving volumes and large glass panes.

A double-height living room takes centre stage inside the five-bedroom home, complete with an open, concrete fireplace and floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open onto the garden. The kitchen and dining room are separate and open onto a terrace beside the swimming pool.