Office on a village

Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio

Idea projektu

Ornavasso is a small town in high Piedmont, between Lake Maggiore and the natural park Val Grande. It was founded by the Swiss Walser community during the Middle Age. The village developed along a stream, under a mountain.
My idea is to build an infinite garden above the city, on which I can detach myself from the village under me.
Medieval villages are characterized by massive buildings facing many alleys. This urban strategy was useful to defend the village during invasions, blocking enemies in the narrow streets. A consequence of this is the total absence of air and light in the heart of the village.
My intention is to create an object above the village – breaking the traditional plot convention – following the specific topography given by the roofs to reach what I can’t reach below.

Popis projektu

In an area of the historical center, analyzing the position of the buildings, except the main street, I found 2 main axes; then, thinking structurally, I had to find some voids to place pillars to sustain my structure and to contain the lifts to get to my office, which is above the village. In this way the pillars don’t interfere with private buildings neither with streets.
To my strong gesture of creating an enormous garden above the village I’ll add my office. The garden is between the office and the house and connects them by a path with which you can live the garden.
The system has a cross shape to adapt it to the topography of the village and to give the spatial experience of an infinite garden: in fact, from the office and from the house you don’t see any other space, only the garden. Thanks to the perimeter walls you see only the sky, no roofs, even if you’re at their same level. You feel like in another place.

Technické informace

Structurally, I tough about a metal truss structure. Spatially, the house and the office are built with the same gesture. The garden is over the inside spaces and, from inside, you experience it from below.
The spaces are connected to the garden by two staircases.
You can see here the office for me and no more than 4 collaborators. In the triangular volume there’s the lift and the stairs are hidden by the bathroom block. In this way, you understand that something is behind but you don’t see what until you go there, and finally you get to the garden.
The meeting area for clients is the only space that doesn’t face the garden but the village. I did it because I want a little connection to the village where I live and work.
The house has the same system of the office but it faces only the garden, not the village. If from the office the view to the garden is clear and the opening is total, in the house the wall interferes with the view, making the space more enclosed and individual with a diaphragm.

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