projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

ap house bears testimony to the rebirth of an ancient rural village located on top of one of the highest hills in the most beautiful landscape in the whole of urbino. the new system of buildings rises on the remains of an ancient structure dating back to the communal age (end of the 11th century). connected to each other on a subterranean level, the structures rest on a red concrete platform dominating the surrounding landscape, by re-establishing a direct and empathetic interaction between the new buildings and the historical stratification of the landscape, the core of the houses, which constitutes a single residential unit, gives the place a central role once more. the buildings, in their stone shells, devoid of superfluous elements such as gutters or downspouts and in their measured proportions, offer themselves to the landscape as pure, discrete and silent relics, recovering their identity and their cultural place within the rural matrix of the area. if the project, in its compositional and volumetric severity faithfully interprets the formal themes typical of the tradition of the marche region, inside, in the treatment of the materials, in the layout of the plan and in the furniture made completely to design, it seeks to lay claim to being thoroughly contemporary. the perimeter wall in béton brut reinforced concrete, frees up the space and eliminates the need within the interior for any other supporting structure. and so matter and light become once more the primordial compositional elements. the lighting design is radical: it results in the structural envelope becoming the centrepiece of the space, highlighting the nature of the materials. in the interior spaces the perforated and etched concrete of the ceiling and walls becomes itself an integral part of the light fittings. the lighting design operates on two different functional levels: one is more intimate and natural, the other more technical and functional. a soft and diffused light naturally emphasises the cadence of the spaces and surfaces. the foro lamp, designed by peter zumthor in 2003, embedded in the structure of the foundation, is the candle that entices you to gather around the most intimate spaces of the house. housed in the soffits, the spotlights on droid tracks, a 2013 design of antoni arola, highlight the details of the artistic works on the walls, the sculptures on the ground and on the furniture. on the first floor, arranged around a large gallery, a series of vertical pilaster lamps, designed especially for these rooms and housed in the concrete in perimeter niches, illuminates the soffit of the ceiling giving a soft light and a diffused illumination of the whole sleeping area. in order to avoid having any vehicles parked and visible from the garden level, the main access to the villa takes place in the basement from the large garage. in this area, in addition to the technical and plant areas, there is a cinema room, an exhibition gallery connecting the main building and the outbuildings and a gym with an adjoining spa. from the lower level, stairs lead directly to the heart of the main building where a majestic view opens up of the hilly landscape and of the outdoor pool area. the outbuilding, in the pattern of its wooden external frame, is reminiscent of a barn. it is in the garden, at night the magic takes place: the light suspends the structures and lightens the stone.