HOUSE WITH A LARGE PORCH
The creation of this dwelling was marked by the full sharing with the client couple of every single ideational and construction phase, with a direct and frank confrontation established right from the first meetings.
The three main architectural themes inherent in the work are the raising of the floor level from ground level, the spatial composition of the volumes, and the characterisation of the central heart of the home.
The synthesis of these three ideational principles has tended to make this work peculiar with respect to widespread habits of thought that continue to produce buildings incapable of grasping the many possibilities that the theme of living can offer.
"House with a large portico" is located on the edge between the built-up area and the countryside north of Vicenza, which accompanies the gaze towards the nearby Pre-Alps and the long tree-lined curtains at the edges of the small watercourses that run through the area.
The idea of raising the house 50 cm from the ground led to emphasising and compositionally balancing the two projecting roof and basement slabs that contain the almost completely glazed front.
The geometric composition of the volume of the dwelling has become an opportunity to break out of the habit of the right angle and to create unusual perspectives and glimpses, but rigorously calibrated between the interior spaces and the surroundings; the external perception of the building is strongly changeable.
The central space of the living room is conceived as a "void" obtained by positioning the three volumes of the kitchen towards the east, the bedroom with bathroom and wardrobe towards the north, and the main bedroom with bathroom and service rooms towards the west; a space gathered on three sides but completely open towards the large porch that provides shelter, opening onto the garden.
The circular skylight with a diameter of 2m placed in the centre of the ceiling of the large open space visually relates the interior space with the sky, becoming the centre of gravity of the house together with the wood fireplace embedded in the wooden wall.
Driveway and pedestrian access is from the alley road to the north of the property, skirting the existing boundary wall, while to the south the lot extends towards the large garden; the house has several entry points: from the two loggias to the north, from the porch to the south, and from the pedestrian ramp that connects the garden with the raised floor that surrounds the building and connects the spaces that open onto it.
The flat roof, in addition to guaranteeing a low profile in relation to the agricultural context, becomes the support surface for the photovoltaic system useful for meeting the home's energy needs.
For the interior finishes, only materials of natural origin have been used, such as clay plaster, wood for the floors, some walls, doors and fixed furnishings, and Vicenza stone for some of the artefacts and the bathroom coverings; these solutions guarantee an increase in interior comfort, aspects that positively influence the quality of life of those living in the home, favouring healthy indoor air and contributing to energy saving requirements.
