Casa Bendico
Building in the gentle hills of Val di Noto requires blending into the landscape without ever seeking to dominate it. This agricultural region is prone to earthquakes and high summer temperatures, sometimes leading to wildfires during dry periods. In this area it’s possible to build in the countryside to maintain the territory. The only rule imposed is a minimum land size of one hectare and a building that does not exceed the height of a single-story structure. Beyond that, there are no specific architectural prescriptions. This has led some to be tempted to build on hilltops to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the countryside and the sea. Building in a seismic zone, where summer temperatures reach 40°C, necessitates choosing the most suitable materials to create a safe, comfortable, and cool living space. Rather than opting for a white, cubic design of international style-common in new constructions in the region and evoking the Cyclades more than Sicily—we drew inspiration from the archaic strength of local farmhouses. These are heavy and mineral-based, coated in cement, blending elegantly into the tree-covered landscape. Therefore, the house is entirely single-story to remain beneath the canopy of surrounding olive trees.
Bioclimatic Design and Materials
To ensure comfort in this bioclimatic and energy self-sufficient home, we chose a double reinforced concrete shell. This is the only technique ensuring the building’s durability in the event of earthquakes or wildfires, both frequent in the region. The outer shell is exposed to climatic conditions, while the inner shell maintains a nearly constant temperature. To blend in harmoniously with the warm hues of the surrounding hills, we incorporated low-carbon concrete mixed with pozzolana from nearby Mount Etna. Incorporating pozzolana also helps to lighten the concrete and enhance the thermal insulation of the double shell, thanks to its alveolar structure.
This high thermal inertia is complemented by pergolas that shield the large glass openings framing views of the sea. A passive thermal well system provides continuous gentle ventilation. Indeed, the cool air from the stable underground temperature (captured from two meters deep through a long cast-iron tube) is distributed throughout the house. Ceiling fans in the bedrooms offer additional comfort when needed. Hot water is generated by solar panels, and electricity comes from photovoltaic panels. Particular attention has been paid to the energy efficiency of each electrical appliance to minimize overall daily consumption. The little heating needed in winter is provided by underfloor heating and a fireplace in the center of the living area.
This project was built by local artisans, each contributing their expertise to meet the project’s bioclimatic ambitions: double-shell concrete walls, a pitched concrete roof poured in place, thermal wells, large glass panels, and shading structures. This experimental construction whose ambition is to redifined a more sustainable mediteranean model, required total commitment from all involved—client, architects, craftsmen, and engineers—in a continuous effort to find local solutions for techniques uncommon in the region. The goal of this project is to favor locals skills versus an architecture of industrials products to maintain a local economy.
Interior Space
The overall ambiance of the house, both inside and out, is defined by the rustic texture of handcrafted board-formed concrete. This material becomes its ornamentation, its identity. Carefully crafted wooden moldings, created by local artisans, are complemented by a few natural oak wood elements that conceal doors and storage spaces and furnitures. Sliding double grilles with intricate moucha rabieh patterns cast changing geometric shadows on the floors and walls. They filter and modulate direct sunlight while also serving as security screens. A massive travertine stone, sourced from Lazio quarries, forms much of the interior and exterior furniture. To enhance its natural sedimentary limestone texture, it is left raw and untreated, resonating with the board-formed concrete. Around the fireplace, a long corner bench invites conversation, furnished with plush grayblue cushions. A seamless indoor-outdoor flow was a key design principle in every space. The house, composed of a spacious living area and three bedrooms, is traversed by an east-west axis, orchestrating different intensities of sunlight throughout the day. The large glass openings seem to disappear into the thickness of the walls, leaving the surrounding landscape as the true focal point. Recessed sliding doors ensure a continuous floor level between the interior and exterior, enhancing spatial fluidity and usability, allowing for breezes or sunlight to enter freely. At night, darkness is ensured by jute curtains concealed in niches and by sliding shutters made from reclaimed wooden planks used in the construction itself.
Exterior Space
The numerous outdoor spaces offer different ways to inhabit the land depending on the season and provide varied viewpoints of the sky, countryside, sea, Vendicari Nature Reserve, Capo Passero (to the south), and the Cava Grande mountains (to the north). Adorned with a beautiful multi-trunk olive tree, the entrance patio protects against occasional gusts of wind, making it a pleasant spot for winter sunlit meals. It features a simple outdoor kitchen with a sink and an industrial built-in barbecue. This is the only space decorated with wildflowers and aromatic plants, accompanied by the soothing sound of a fountain, enhancing humidity levels in summer.
A second, more intimate patio connected to the bathrooms serves as an enclave for an outdoor shower and a laundry-drying area. This open-air, mineral-rich space naturally extends the two bathrooms, offering changing light reflections and the shifting shadows of four young lemon trees. The large southeast-facing terrace shelters the glass doors of the bedrooms and living room. Deep and wide, it acts as a natural extension of the indoor living areas, inviting guests to dine in the shade or relax. Its contrasting structure combines massive pillars with a lightweight pergola covered in locally sourced reeds. Their irregular assembly casts striped shadows and diffused light, depending on the sun’s inclination.
The swimming pool is a raw mineral plate emerging just slightly from the terrain. It is deliberately set at a distance from the house to create distinct atmospheres and offer new perspectives of the surrounding landscape. Its long swimming lane (or relaxation space) invites solitude and reading. Centuries-old olive trees provide ample shade. A large pergola protects parked cars from the sun and offers free electric charging for visitors, powered by the photovoltaic panel field.
This house was designed to be comfortable and inviting, self-sufficient and gentle, but also respectful of its environment in every sense of the word. Blending modernity and tradition, this project reexamines contemporary Mediterranean construction methods while drawing on the passion and expertise of local artisans to create a sustainable model deeply rooted in its territory. So that Sicily remains Sicily. So that the cultivation of olives, almonds, and lemons continues to mark the passing seasons.
“Everything must change so that nothing changes,” as Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote in The Leopard.
