Enrico Scaramellini's project consists of two floors, the ground floor containing the sleeping area, a toilet and a living room. The staircase leads to the upper level, a large space combining the kitchen with the living/dining room, where the main feature is the large window overlooking the mountainous landscape; the studio is the only room separated from the rest, at the end of a glass corridor.
The lime mortar, which appears as a replacement or complement for the stone walls, is in charge of describing the metamorphosis process of the old rural building into a temporary dwelling that respects the rigorous regulations established by the imposing landscape while transforming it into another of the protagonists of the project, meticulously orienting the views towards the best angles.
PJA House by Enrico Scaramellini. Photography by Marcello Mariana.
Description of project by Enrico Scaramellini
The project building is located within the Rural Core called "Mottaccio", at the southern end of the territory called "Andossi", in the municipality of Madesimo (SO).
The territory is characterized by a morphology with an undulating, grassland and pasture pattern. The forest is located at a lower elevation and clearly demarcated by the maximum growth elevation. Because of this, the landscape is marked by a series of large open spaces in which small cores and isolated buildings find
their home.
In recent decades, the mountain agriculture for which these buildings were intended has disappeared, and a gradual change of use of existing buildings has been observed. In most cases there has been a mere replacement of existing rural buildings.
The core, in its present configuration, is the result of these transformations. The materials that make up the buildings have been maintained even in the most radical transformations (stone, rasopietra, rustic plaster). The core is marked by the passage of a dirt driveway, which then towards the south turns into a mountain path leading to the valley.
The project intends to make evident the process of transformation of the building: from a building for rural use to a seasonal residence. Since changes are configured from the volumetric point of view, the intention is to make obvious any "added" elements.
The building on the site of the first parcel of land is reconstructed to a single story in lime plaster. It is to maintain the airtight character of the original building; for this reason, it is distinguished through a single opening set back from the outer edge of the wall. This choice allows for a "void" marked by a deep shadow, as is often the case with rural buildings, and not a reflection of glazed element.
To the south, the façade is demolished and the volume is lengthened accordingly according to the geometries of the existing. This part is also made of lime plaster. The intention of the project is to make the new parts in lime plaster; in this way, the different nature of the plaster of the added bodies determines a comparison between the new and the old. Thus emerges the process of forming the project artifact.
The project consists of two floors: on the ground floor, there is the sleeping area consisting of a room, a service bathroom and a multi-purpose room to the south. Through a straight staircase there is access to the living floor located above. It consists of a single space in which the kitchenette is located. Through a small glazed corridor one has access to the study. The living area, like the room on the ground floor, is distinguished through a large window placed to the west.
Its south facade echoes the classical facade composition of rural buildings with a French door and square windows. The connection between the main building and the one on the site of the first parcel is recessed into the ground and contained in height. It has two types of facade.
To the west, a glazed surface reflects the landscape and ideally leads back to the separation of the two bodies; to the east, the plastered wall is supported by two pools at different heights, in which some raspberry plants will be housed. In this way, the "full" connection will reconfigure the original solution of the long body.
The east side, facing the public street, is configured as a mute elevation (except for a small window and the entrance door); while the east side, not visible from the public street, opens to the landscape. The exterior arrangements result from the need to clear the west front in its ground floor; a small ground movement, related to the existing slope, allows for a small shelf.
To the south, the existing system is repurposed; a small wall and access stair delimits the outdoor use space.
In conclusion, the project building uses traditional materials (lime plaster) to narrate a process of transformation, adapting the building for residential use, while respecting the dominant landscape.
