Country house - Ghisallo (Lake Como)

THE CONTEXT Between the 17th and 19th centuries, important villas were built on lake Como. Later on, the Milanese bourgeoisie started building country-houses in the mountains around the lake. Liberty style villas are testimonials of the architectural culture of the1920s. After WW 2, the connection with local history was gradually lost. This building intends to re-establish a creative link with the country-house tradition in the region. THE LOCATION The house is in a property that includes a 1920 villa and a guesthouse. The hilly and terraced grounds form a depression between the two existing buildings, crossed by a private access road. THE PROJECT The new house sits at the edge of a terrace. The volume is high and compact. The four facades are equivalent, with no front, back or sides. From any perspective, the house is at the centre of the landscape. From the old road, two new smaller roads lead through the woods toward the basement and ground floor levels, respectively. The central plan of the building revolves around two uncluttered axes, light beams through which nature and architecture merge. Stairs are detached, with full view of the garden. An open space under the roof offers a 360 degrees view of the lake and mountains. The basement wall follows the curve of the ground. It is covered with stone like the lower walls of the two existing buildings. Environmentally friendly technologies were used, including insulation, the storage of rainwater for bathroom and irrigation use and floor heating fed by solar panels.