Studio di architettura Simona Venturini
Residential complex in Figino Serenza (Como)
Demolition and complete reconstruction. Project year: 2005-2007.
Private Client
As there used to be a workshop/commercial building on the site it was hoped that the same large bulk could be salvaged, but this possibility was hampered by the need to respect various constraints imposed by the different rules and regulations of the area (environmental constraints, single access directly from the provincial road, the need to create outdoor parking spaces, etc.). The solution proposed managed to combine both public and private interests: an agreement with the Local Government allowed the creation of private parking spaces and garages on the adjoining area instead of directly under the building, and this freed up space on the building plot and avoided high costs for the private company that would have otherwise had to dig and reinforce the slope.
The environmental impact of the work was minimised by creating a series of terraces sloping down to the Serenza Stream. This solution made a decided improvement to the appearance of the place which used to be overwhelmed by the great pentagonal bulk of the old building.
Due to the shape of the building, we were able to locate the apartments in three wings while retaining a central connecting staircase in an area that is notoriously difficult to illuminate and ventilate naturally. Each apartment has at least two external walls, a basic requirement in a building to facilitate a good natural passage of air and proper environmental hygiene.
The terraced structure meant that each floor of the building had a different overall floorplan and this allowed for the creation of properties of different sizes and layouts, each able to guarantee the best use of the available space both in terms of positioning the service areas and of fitting out the individual rooms.
Outside, the terraces and the use of different materials give movement to the facades, reducing the impact of the overall bulk; for example, stone cladding was used for the stairs and the penthouse on the main facade instead of the plaster used for the other surfaces, and this in particular gives the perception that the whole complex is made up of two main masses slotting together, where the terraces and the parapets form a stringcourse. A further contribution to the appearance of movement is the alternating use in the parapets of perforated sheet metal with simple brickwork or with balcony planters, none of this compromising the overall harmony of the structure.