The city of Cagliari is surrounded by two rings of small towns that create a metropolitan web. Among these towns, there is Sinnai, a small rural center. As many other italian towns, Sinnai had a big expansion phase in the 1970s, with buildings made by principle of rationality other than researching qualitative and aesthetic designing, it’s not possible to recognize a common or main aesthetic style. This is the framework where METAMORPHOSYS located, the building involved was originally an existing two level building with eclectic style. The old building didn't have elements of architectural quality, and it was not possible to find similarities among the buildings around and the neighborhood. That's why it was decided to make a strong break with the surroundings and with the old appearance of the building, keeping the main structure intact, an essential requirement indicated by the client. The building is born again with a contemporary twist, not only in design, but also in the use of the exterior spaces, now considered an integral part of the residential core. The first step was cleaning the main facade from the eclectic elements; so the new facade was structured as a balance of vertical and horizontal lines, which created a new dynamic and multidimensional aesthetic. The main character of the facade is the veranda of the master bedroom on the first floor, consisting of a suspended and excavated volume, with a wooden block cladding inside that enhances the depth of the field and frames the new window from which is possible to see the surrounding hills and the landscape. The main entrance of the house is marked by a small tower covered with wooden strips and a canopy; on the left side there is a protected area for cars, while on the right side there is the view of the living room on the street. The main facade is completed by a fence consisting of a planter covered with wooden strips and transparent gates on black reinforced concrete uprights. Inside the court, the space has been re-functionalized, with large flower boxes that made possible to redesign the space. In the central part of the courtyard there is a pergola, supported by a white structure directly connected to the living room window, to allow continuity between indoor and outdoor space , so in the warm months, imagined as an open-air living room. The old garage at the end of the court has been redesigned into a small spa, accessible through a space filtered by the new planters. Also one of the main concepts, was the lighting design operation, with the use of LED strips that enhance the lines of the building allowing to focus on the most relevant elements of each perspective.
Mei & Pilia Associati is an architecture firm based in Cagliari, operating since 1996 in architecture, urban planning and structures. The owners are Gianluca Pilia, engineer and founder, graduated in Civil Engineering at University of Cagliari, and Luciano Mei engineener, cofounder and graduated in Civil Engineering at University of Cagliari. The team of designer consists of seven coworkers: Ivano Manca, Francesco Mulas, Marco Casu, Saverio Muscas, Tahar Al Makkiui, Francesca Zucca, Joele Loja. The studio works mostly for private buildings, such as residential buildings, villas, interiors, hotels, commercial, urban planning, restoration.