Davide Macullo & Marco Strozzi
Hard covered book - This house by Davide Macullo appears an industrial bunker at first glance from curbside, yet opens up to the garden and to delight once inside.
Overview
Proving you shouldn't judge books by their cover, this house located in Comano, 5 km north of Lugano (Ticino), is set on the border between more traditional buildings up the hill and a new urbanised area on the plains below.
Layout
The construction stands on the lower part of a steep slope.
Consisting of three main rectangular units, each of which leads out onto a different level of the terraced plot.
The huge entrance porch, that serves also as covered car-park, is carved into the hill as a cave; leaving the upper volume as if “floating” in the green landscape. The void generated between the three main volumes, hosts the stairs that link the levels. Rather than full storeys between each, the stairway connects each level at a landing, half a floor apart, giving the feeling of walking on the natural slope of the land.
Bedrooms on the first floor, leave the second floor and a single covered porch to be bathed in sunlight from across the valley. Services and less used rooms are tucked away towards the read of the house, closer to the hillside.
Half a level down from the elevated covered porch, is the living room, which leads out to the pool and main terrace.
Further images below reveal how the light filterers through between the disjointed floors. The strong façade, sheltering the house from views, whist the stepped design, allows the outside and light to come in to each of the living rooms.
Plans
Architects: Davide Macullo & Marco Strozzi
Collaborators: Laura Perolini & Michele Alberio - Como - Italy, Margherita Pusterla - Varese – Italy
Completed: 2007
Engineer: Ideal Ingegno SA - Vezia - Switzerland
Physical engineer: Franco Semini - Lugano - Switzerland
Project manager: Ennio Magetti - Minusio - Switzerland
Photographers: Enrico Cano - Como - Italy & Pino Musi - Milano - Italy
via: Davide Macullo