Pezzolo Valle Uzzone - located in Langhe (Piedmont) - is a village looking towards Liguria. Nowadays this place is suffering a financial crisis and the tourist industry is not well developed. The crisis since last decades caused a continuous depopulation of the area: today the municipality of Pezzolo Valle Uzzone counts circa 350 inhabitants. Territorial impoverishment caused low cost of living, low cost of buildings and soil, that brought here many people from other european countries. Today the 10% of the population is composed by former foreign citizens who established their residence in Pezzolo.
This is the case of the present work’s clients: a young english couple that looks for a change from the previous lifestyle. This renovation project works on a double concept: on one hand the recognization of the landscape’s qualities - a terrain climbing up to the wood, an open view to the large valley below. On the other hand the respect of the existing house, of its typology and construction techniques, the respect of traditional materials. The design strategy aims not only to the renovation of existing structures and materials - the wood structures of the roof, plasters, white local stone for doorsteps and windowsills, ardesia roof tiles. Following the design program based on contemporary lifestyle, the project introduces a twin volume, entirely built in white concrete, hosting the new rooms.
The link between the new and existing volume is based on the traces of a stone fence, nowadays in ruins. The linking spaces hosts the vertical and horizontal paths system.
The rooms dedicated to the living, kitchen and an open patio, are located on the upper floor, to overlook the landscape.
An isolated studio and a swimming pool complete the program.
