“Breathing New Life to a Heritage Farmers House, with all the comforts of a Contemporary Lifestyle.”
For our latest venture, ASZarchitetti and SUPERFUTUREDESIGN* collaborated to instill our unique design philosophies into a distinct project – rebuilding a farmhouse in southern Tuscany to have modern elements and contemporary aspects.
Given the proposal, we approached the project with caution since we needed to make sure that we created a new concept without compromising the integrity of the previous structure.
Site and Project Description
The old heritage farmhouse was surrounded by a magnificent landscape and featured a natural pond – a depiction of the fascinating ecosystem in itself, it was located in the Crete Senesi area in Tuscany, South of Siena.
The project comprised a complete remodeling and rebuilding job, but with important conditions that needed to be met. Most significantly, the entire structure had to be rebuilt while utilizing old materials at the same time.
Design Concept
The main theme behind the project was to adopt a modern methodology in rebuilding the house. At the same time, we needed to respect the traditional and rural architecture of the historically important area.
Instead of taking up a mimicking outlook, we drew clear inspiration from the original building. Of course, we had to make our contemporary advances explicit as well. The result would be an eclectic mix of unique aspects on opposing sides of the spectrum – the old and new, the predictable and the unknown, and most obvious, conservative nature as well as a futuristic one.
Through the Lens of the Client
It’s easy to wonder what made our client, in this case, think that an old farmhouse, reclaimed by nature, would be a perfect home. More than just the historical structure, the captivating landscape surrounding it made the prospect of living there a serene experience.
Our client, who is a photographer, felt that the home would be an epicenter of a natural expanse that enticed the senses with a palette of sights, sounds, and smells, all of which would help make memories and emotions.
In an era when most people would prefer living in locations at the pulse of urban development, such a divergent perspective was pivotal for how we saw our surroundings. It also helped us form a distinct framework for designing and rebuilding the farmhouse.
Design Elements
Some of the most eye-catching characteristics of the project include the sustainable method of reusing existing materials in a modern style. In addition, there were other features, like sleek metal cornices at the openings and frameless windows.
We developed a customized design process to meet the needs of the project. Construction was executed as per the traditional design. That is, we used the previous outline to establish a new structure. However, we supported it with next-generation technology to maintain better engineering standards. This was proven by the resulting structure’s robustness, adherence to the latest anti-seismic codes, enhanced thermal performance, and energy efficiency.
As one of our most challenging projects to date – it tested our ability to come up with sustainable solutions, interpret postmodern motifs, pay tribute to old traditions, and meet higher design standards at the same time.