悬崖别墅

Villa in Sicily

The Bluff Villa

For Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, the act of listening to context marks an approach to design that takes form in direct relation to the particular qualities of a site and its history.

As with many other works by the office, the project operates at the scale of architecture and that of the landscape: the entrance to the home is influenced by a typical arrangement of classical villas, with a rotunda encircled by hedges. The structure of the house, wrapped in a mantle of grass, is situated at a lower level, almost hidden within its surroundings. It consists of two parallelepipeds facing in different directions, connected by a square central volume that serves as a hinge and an intimate space of gathering. The garden is deigned in accordance with the English tradition of combining natural and formalised areas.

As with all of the [LPA]’s work, the design was developed down to the smallest details, including objects and site-specific furnishings that coexist with the clients’ collection of valuable antiques and modern pieces.

Local regulations imposed strict environmental standards. [LPA], together with Atelier Ten (one of Europe’s top environmental systems designers) developed sustainable solution such as green roofs, screened facades and biomass heaters. During summer a sophisticated natural ventilation system, consisting of underfloor vents, brings fresh air into the house from the shaded voids beneath the house.