Ercolina
International architecture practice McLean Quinlan have completed their first project in Italy, a private residential estate in the Tuscan landscape of the Maremma. Set across two hilltops within thirty hectares of olive groves, Ercolina responds directly to the site’s topography, climate and surrounding architectural character.
Ercolina was conceived for a family living overseas with Italian roots, who sought to establish a long-term base in Italy. McLean Quinlan was appointed for the architecture, masterplanning, and material strategy, working closely with the clients from whom the process held deep personal significance.
The estate comprises two principal residences — the Tower and the Barn — set approximately 150 metres apart. Their placement was carefully considered to capture light, prevailing breezes and uninterrupted 360-degree views across rolling countryside, the lagoon of Orbetello and towards the Argentario peninsula. Together with a third building, the guest house, they form a composed silhouette in the landscape, reflecting the traditional hilltop placement of buildings across central Italy.
In total, the property has eleven en-suite bedrooms, two fully equipped kitchens, generous covered terraces and al fresco dining areas, an infinity pool, a tennis court and tasting room. Terraces, loggias and open-plan living spaces establish a fluid relationship between interior and exterior, allowing the horizon and changing light to shape daily life. True to the studio’s approach, the architecture feels shaped by its setting rather than imposed upon it.
From the outset, McLean Quinlan studied the site’s topography and orientation, as well as the wider region’s architectural character, to inform the design. The land originally comprised two hills, an uninspiring farmhouse and scattered ruins. Through extensive masterplanning, McLean Quinlan carefully positioned new structures in response to existing access routes, mature olive trees and long views towards the sea. The principal residence occupies the footprint of a former farm chicken coop, enabling the preservation of established trees, drawing shade into the architecture and anchoring the building naturally into its surroundings.
Landscape is integral to McLean Quinlan’s approach from the earliest design stages, ensuring each project is grounded in its setting. For Ercolina, the practice worked closely with Italian landscape and garden designers, Gaia Chaillet Giusti and Stefano Baccari, to allow architecture and planting to evolve together, strengthening the relationship between built form and landscape.
The Tower is the most visible element within the estate, its tall, elegant proportions distinguishing it from the lower, more horizontal forms around it. Referencing the historic towers found across central Italy, the building acts as a landmark within the landscape without dominating it. Arched openings draw from the local vernacular, while window proportions balance historic precedent with the demands of contemporary living, allowing expansive views and generous daylight. Curved forms are also introduced throughout the design, informed by the stonework of local historic structures, including the defensive walls and towers of nearby Magliano.
Sitting on the adjacent hill are the Barn and the guest house. The guest house serves as a more informal and sociable counterpart to the primary residence. Designed as a space for living and entertaining, it contains a kitchen and a generous living volume oriented toward southern views. The barn supports the estate’s ongoing production of organic extra virgin olive oil, in keeping with Tuscan tradition and also functions as a flexible space for events and as a private gym.
Just as the building forms of Tuscany have influenced the design, so too have the materials. Stone walls, constructed using stone pulled directly from the ground of the property, shallow terracotta roofs and traditionally detailed openings such as the Barn’s angled tiled window reflect the local vernacular of Magliano. Italian tiles, windows and locally sourced materials are used in a deliberately traditional way, lending the buildings a sense of age and familiarity and avoiding an appearance that feels overly clean or ordered.
Interior concepts were developed with Tommaso Ziffer in collaboration with Studio GAA Architects. Later on, a Spanish interior design studio came onboard to refine the interiors and decorative scheme. Antique furniture is paired with frescoed doors and ceilings, set against sweeping views of the landscape. These layered elements enrich the spaces without overwhelming the architecture’s quiet restraint, allowing light, proportion and the surrounding landscape to remain central.
