Services · Web development

Fast sites built on a stack I own.

I build websites on Astro with a structured content layer I developed myself. No WordPress. No plugin maintenance. No technical debt that compounds over time.

Le Monde · Télérama · HDQuali

The stack

Astro — the frontend

Pure HTML output at build time. Zero JavaScript by default — only what the page genuinely needs. Core Web Vitals are high without a cache plugin or a CDN configuration to maintain. The same stack I used at Le Monde and Télérama at editorial scale.

Frontmatter Solo — the handoff engine

A build-time tool I built that transforms a constrained Astro project into Twig or PHP templates — an explicit rendering contract for backend integration. No rewrite. No runtime coupling. The frontend and the backend stay decoupled by design. frontmatter.tech/solo →

Frontmatter Studio — the content layer

A structured content engine built on top of Solo. Layout stays in code. Content becomes typed data. Editors only touch structured fields — text, images, specific components. The design doesn't break because the editor can't reach it. frontmatter.tech/studio →

Why not WordPress

WordPress

  • Database exposed to the public internet
  • Critical updates every few weeks
  • Plugins break on each other
  • WYSIWYG editors that let editors break the layout
  • Performance requires a separate caching layer
  • Technical debt accumulates from day one

This stack

  • No database. No PHP exposed at runtime
  • No dependencies to update
  • No plugins. No compatibility surface
  • Structured fields only — design is untouchable
  • Fast by default, no configuration needed
  • The site you launch is the site you run in five years

How a project works

01

Scoping call

30 minutes to understand your project, your constraints and your content model. I send a detailed quote within 48 hours.

02

Structure and design

Page architecture, typography, component system. You validate before a single line of code is written.

03

Integration

One day per page. Each template is integrated and validated individually before moving to the next. No big-bang delivery.

04

Content layer and handoff

Three days to wire the content engine, configure the structured editor and walk you through it. You leave autonomous — no ongoing dependency on me for content updates.

05

Deploy

Static output deploys anywhere — FTP, traditional hosting, Netlify, Vercel, Cloudflare Pages. Performance checks, basic SEO audit, usage documentation. Done.

Services and pricing

Custom website

Design and integration page by page. Frontmatter content layer included. Contact form wired to your provider. Basic SEO technical setup. From $2,800.

Full rebuild

Audit of the existing site. New content architecture. Integration and content migration. Team training on the new editor. On quote.

Backend handoff

You have an Astro frontend. Your backend team needs Twig or PHP templates with an explicit variable contract. Solo handles the extraction — I handle the setup, validation and documentation. From $900.

References

2018 — 2023 · National press

Le Monde

Full frontend rebuild at editorial scale. No JS framework, no CSS framework. Millions of daily readers. The same constraints — performance, maintainability, zero client-side bloat — that this stack is built on.

See the project →

2023 — 2024 · Cultural press

Télérama

Site architecture, article templates, TV schedule interface. Component system maintained at high content volume.

See the project →

2025 · Internal tool

HDQuali

Custom internal tooling. Alpine.js + HTMX + PHP. Pragmatic, fast, no overhead.

See the project →

Questions

Can my team manage the content without touching code?

Yes. The content layer is built for that. Editors work in a structured interface — field by field — without access to the layout or the code. They can update text, images and configured sections. They can't break the design.

Where does the site host?

Anywhere. Static output means no server requirements — FTP hosting, Cloudflare Pages, Netlify, Vercel, your existing infrastructure. No vendor lock-in.

How long does a project take?

A 5-page website is typically done in 2 to 3 weeks including validation rounds. Timeline depends on content availability on your side — the more ready the content, the faster the delivery.

My backend is on Symfony / WordPress. Can you still help?

Yes. Frontmatter Solo outputs Twig templates for Symfony integration and has a WordPress-specific adapter. The frontend stays in Astro — Solo generates the render contract your backend team integrates.

Get in touch

Let's talk.

Tell me about your project — what you're building, your timeline, your constraints. I'll come back with a clear proposal within 48 hours.