At the entrance of the village Soprabolzano, several townhouses situated on a hillside, with private gardens and a view of the Dolomites, were built as part of a new housing development project.
Our clients, a family of four, occupy one half of a southward looking duplex, which spreads across four floors: a subterraneous basement, a semi-subterraneous first floor with garden, a second floor with at-ground-level access to the street facing north, and an attic loft space.
The given floor plan appeared too rigid to our clients and didn’t meet their personal vision. Thus, detaching from the perpendicular would suspend the initial rigor and loosen everything up. The lady of the house also envisioned a special element in the form of an opening or window on the first floor.
Apart from reorganizing the floor plans, the interior site development of the space had to be revisited. The partially subterraneous first floor, as well as the second floor, both have external front doors on the northside of the building. The challenge was to connect these two front entrance areas on different floors through an open stairway without completely giving up the separation of common areas and private retreating spaces. Both entrances should be accessible to the family as well as guests.
The open stairway becomes a central connecting component. A coated steel plate installation leads up through the stairway’s core serving as a guardrail. Perforated areas on the plate create permeability and turn the stairway into a unifying light catcher.
On the first floor, there is a living room with a kitchen and a half bath, whereas the second-floor houses two bedrooms and a full bathroom. The first floor opens up to the south through a generous floor to ceiling window with sliding door to the garden and yard. On the west facade, a round window breaches the exterior wall. On the inside, lined with wool carpet, the window holds a cozy seating space inviting to relax. Opposite this cozy setup, there is an exposed concrete wall, in front of it a kitchen unit with a kitchen island, as well as several modular sofa pieces. A detached furniture element placed at the back of the dining area, towards the front entrance, serves as a partition that is usable on both sides. On the backside, it is a wardrobe, while on the front it offers additional dining and kitchen storage space, an espresso bar, and a chalkboard to write and draw notes for the whole family.
As for flooring, the family decided on polished exposed concrete, oak parquet, and light-gray flecked virgin wool carpet. Black and sage colored front panels dictate the appearance in the kitchen and living room. An overhanging stone slab made from Seiser basalt forms the countertop on the central kitchen island. The softness of the virgin wool carpet in the round window faces the rawness of the exposed concrete wall. A vintage rose color was chosen for the coating of the steel light catcher in the stairway.
The family wanted a home that graciously honors the diverse challenges of family life. Original floor plans were restructured to meet their need for generous common rooms with plenty of storage space on one hand, and for private rooms offering retreat and peace on the other. Moreover, transforming the stairway into a unifying light catcher ultimately added to a warm and inviting atmosphere. Text description by the architects.
