Country House / Dario Scanavacca Architetto

Country House / Dario Scanavacca Architetto

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Text description provided by the architects. The new residential building with its distinctly modern character fits into the agricultural landscape among the hills not far from the historic center of Bassano del Grappa, a municipality in the foothills of the Veneto region. The building consists of two single-pitched volumes and a swimming pool arranged in a U-shape to create a private courtyard raised above ground level from which to enjoy the view of the surrounding landscape.

The two volumes are separated by a flat roof element which gives them formal unity and is developed on two slightly staggered levels, with the living area in the north volume and the sleeping area in the west volume. The main orientation of the building is towards the southeast, opening up towards the landscape with the large window in the living area, which provides continuity between inside and outside, strengthening the building’s link with the garden.

The more introspective north and west facades have small windows at different heights to allow natural light into the rooms while ensuring privacy from the street and protecting the home from the prevailing winds to the north and overheating in summer to the west. Particular attention has been paid to constructional and formal aspects. The load-bearing walls consist of a solid wood frame with a “joist” system filled with cellulose fiber and braced with gypsum fiber panels.

The external facade uses the solid larch wood ventilated wall system, which guarantees significant energy savings, acoustic improvement, and protection from the elements. The heating and cooling of the house are obtained with an air-air heat pump that uses horizontal geothermal energy, considerably reducing running costs, in combination with a photovoltaic and solar thermal system.

Particular attention was paid to the large south-facing window made of a very thin aluminum profile and low-emission glass. The sunlight from the window ensures the comfort of the living area in winter, while in summer a system of external filtering curtains protects against sunlight.