HOUSE IN PAZZALLO
The house is situated on the edge of a historic village, on the slopes of Monte San Salvatore in Lugano. The site was originally a small terraced plot, once used as a vegetable garden and vineyard.
The project set out, through a concise architectural gesture, to synthesis all the principles and aspirations that emerged during the design process:
The desire to create an ideal continuity between the living spaces and the garden, The ambition to capture the most beautiful possible views across the landscape, visible above the rooftops of the village, The preservation of the terraced form of the land, reinterpreted in a contemporary way, The creation of a high-quality void within the historic village, in a place where the house’s impact is at its boldest.
The construction is intentionally kept simple and direct, formed from the interplay of two solid volumes, a pillar and three ground terraces. The main structural elements, which also serve as façades, are a pair of Vierendeel beams. One end of each rests on the ground, while the other connects to a second perpendicular volume, also functioning as a beam, that in turn rests on the ground and on a pillar.
The orthogonal intersection of these beams, supported by the site’s dry-stone walls and an offset pillar, creates a sculptural tension with the surrounding context. The physical presence of concrete is softened by the wooden slabs, with their dense rhythm of exposed beams.
The use of contrasting materials, concrete for the external structure and wood for the slabs, ensures good thermal performance and effective control of thermal bridging.
The house is arranged over two levels. The ground floor accommodates a large kitchen, a porch, and a study, all located beneath the main volume of the building, which forms the first floor. The first floor contains the bedrooms, bathrooms, and living room, organized in a straightforward layout.
The roof of the house is designed as a terrace, accessible directly from the garden
