Location   Castelnovo di Sotto, Italy

Surface area   22,604 square feet

Photographs   © Kai-Uwe

	Suspended by the ground to protect the aquifer
	Rainwater collection and use
	Photovoltaic solar energy   Passive solar   Green roof
	Natural daylight   Double insulated glazing separated by argon   Mechanised system to recycle the air

The typological value of this home is defined by its relationship with the highway, just two hundred feet away, and its design that enables it to be an integral part of the environment.

Dominated by permanent grassland, the landscape establishes a strong connection between the architecture and the agricultural surroundings. This relationship is achieved through improved internal and external points of view and through the interaction between solid and empty shapes (porches and windows). The design take into account the relationship between architecture and landscape.

Given all these variables, the main structure of the house is based on two elements: the large porch that surrounds the building and the inner body of the house. The porch acts as the element that defines the boundaries between home and countryside, while “independent objects,” such as the stairs and ramps, represent a natural extension of the highways and roads. Meanwhile, the facades, enveloped by the surrounding porch, are characterized by the relationship between the filled and empty spaces that define the way in which the house relates to its surrounding landscape.

 The home’s foundation is aboveground in order to protect it from water runoff—like a throwback to the historical settlements of Terramare.

Site plan

South elevation

East elevation

North elevation

Section A-A

Section B-B

Sketch of axonometric exploded view

  1.  Green roof

  2.  Climate reliever

  3.  Inertial wall

  4.  Sun screens

  5.  South large openings

  6.  Massive wall

  7.  Ventilated foundation

Bioclimatic systems diagram

  1.  Rainwater

  2.  Natural ventilation

  3.  Rainwater tank

  4.  Summer sun 70º

  5.  Winter sun 20º

Solar and winds orientation diagram

  1.  Solar chart

  2.  Orientation

  3.  Direction of prevailing winds

Roof

First floor

Ground floor

Basement floor

 The large laminated wood doors and windows have an argon gas chamber, and the interior is protected in summer by the deep entryway and insulated sliding walls.