bartke pedrazzini architetti

Description

In the debut project of our architectural office, two houses were transformed. As if in a palimpsest, volumes, components and layers were removed and then complemented and overwritten elsewhere. Casa Cortile, formerly used as a stable, was freed of all annexes and supplemented by a volume placed perpendicular to the slope. Half embedded in the hillside, an intimate inner courtyard is created. Old and new are juxtaposed equally here in the form of stone and concrete, thus generating a larger whole. A generous window in a double-height room frames the mountain panorama and at the same time blocks out the suburban context. Ca’ del Tero in the eastern part of the site had been expanded over the years to double its volume. A partial demolition was necessary to make the original Ticino house recognisable again. The remodelling work aimed to give the house a contemporary expression without erasing the traces of history. Sanded concrete complements and unites the stonework. The apartments are vertically and horizontally interlocked, creating an exciting and bright interior. Both buildings are heated with geothermal energy and supplied with electricity by photovoltaics. Pure mineral and open-pored construction was used. Stones and demolition material were sorted and reused on site. The common garden with fruit trees and vegetable beds gives residents a place to socialise.