丨意大利丨Rinaldo Del Nero

Architects:Rinaldo Del Nero

Year:2025

Photographs:Marcello Mariana

Manufacturers:Tecnografica,Azzurra,Cielo,Cipì,Edonè,Florim,Godanaa,Marset,Nemo,Noel & Marquet,Uniform-Magis

Category:Houses

Team:Rinaldo Del Nero, Andrea Mainetti, Anna Barlascini, Elisa Fantoni

Execution:Corazza stefano imbiancature, Idraulica Menatti, Caneva serramenti, Spandrio srl, Falegnameria Mazzolini.

Hvac System Design:Francesco Vaninetti.

Safety Coordination:Bellero srl.

City:Sondrio

Country:Italy

Text description provided by the architects. This renovation project is an exemplary alternative to the all-too-common practice of demolition and reconstruction, which tends to replace complexity with standardized solutions. Here, the approach was to recover and transform, minimizing waste and giving new value to materials via preservation rather than replacement.

Nestled at the foot of the Orobie Alps, in the heart of the lower Valtellina valley, the house sits right on the edge of the old town, near a historic public fountain once used for washing. The building acts as a link between the historic urban fabric and the more recent residential development.

Originally fragile and inefficient, the house underwent a thorough transformation. The project included the addition of a new upper floor with a rebuilt roof, continuous insulation both inside and out, a full redesign of the interior layout, and a focus on overall aesthetics. The goal was not to erase an inconvenient past, but to guide the structure toward a more thoughtful present.

The project took place in the context of the Italian government's "Superbonus 110%," a major incentive program that often led to rushed construction focused on quantity over quality. In this case, the work prioritized craftsmanship and detail while taking advantage of the program's economic benefits. This is evidenced by the CasaClima R certification, an achievement that stands out in a period marked by superficial, carbon-copy projects.

From a technical perspective, the house has been made completely independent from fossil fuels. It is equipped with an air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating, controlled mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and dehumidification, a 6 kW photovoltaic system with battery storage, and an electric vehicle charging station. High-tech solutions are carefully integrated without compromising architectural balance.

The interiors reflect the same philosophy: redesigned for contemporary living while maintaining a connection to the building's original character. The Gray Race House is neither a nostalgic replica of the past nor an object displaced from its context. It is a living, regenerated structure that defies the tedium of standardized solutions.

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