Apartment renovation in Padova
The magic that the city of Padua instills in the visitor, with its medieval historic center, is the succession of innumerable surprises hidden around every corner, inside every courtyard, behind every door. It is the power of the unplanned. This 60 m2 small apartment has been totally renovated with the help of local artisans and craftsmen using natural materials and innovative technological solutions, in order to meet the needs of the client and maximize the space for the future use.
Buildings are like chests, stone trunks containing treasures. And so also the level of intimacy naturally increases as you go inward, from the door on the pedestrian street to your front door: the last barrier that hides the treasure.
The need to have a separate room clashed with the aim of maintaining the only windowed facade not divided. It was therefore decided for a room-in-room design solution, building a room with an internal window completely integrated with the furnishings.
Aesthetically sustainable architecture means buildings made of natural materials and colors, fitting to the natural and built environment and being part of its entity without conflict. These materials age naturally, meaning that patina lets them be a natural part of the environment and gives aesthetic qualities. The building is considered alive, when its spaces are customizable and easy to adapt to dwellers’ need. Therefore, spaces should be harmonic, regular and based on a modular structure.
The combination of the wood of the floor and furniture (oak), and the clay that covers each wall, brings us back to an ancestral and completely natural environment. The softness of wood is combined with the hardness of eternal pentelic marble. The clay plaster in the living room contains wall heating pipes, that distribute the heat equally and softly to the space.
“Even architecture has a hidden thought that substantiates it: the intent to create a paradise. It is the only purpose of our homes. […] Behind every architectural effort, worthy of being a symbol, there is the will to demonstrate heaven on earth for man.” Alvar Aalto
