A villa inspired by Design for All

By Editorial Staff - 27 October 2020
Schüco has participated in the project

Two homes designed by Mario Tessarollo with the awareness that architecture determines our relationship with space as well as with others

This project responds to the requirements of two related families, with every design aspect taking into account the particular set of needs of one family member who has a motor disability. The brief to create homes based on the Design for All concept resulted in shared choices and exacting architecture, in which form and function work together.

The project is located on a site where there were previously two old industrial buildings, both of which were demolished to make room for these two modern residences. Designed with environmental sustainability in mind, both have a class A energy rating. As if to simulate an embrace that protects and unites the two families, the project is built to a C-shaped plan. Clean, precise geometries have made it possible to incorporate specially designed accessible pathways in the garden, which includes a swimming pool.

Designed to be barrier-free as well as comfortable and safe for every occupant, the entire property is highly accessible and usable. Accessibility is the common denominator of both the interior and exterior. This is reflected in the use of Schüco aluminum windows and doors, which, besides aiding mobility, create a direct relationship between indoors and outdoors. Doors and windows aren’t treated as barriers but as thresholds. They don’t divide but encourage communication. They don’t close off but liberate access to the entire property. The large windows in the living room connect the interior to the exterior, the architecture to its setting.

On the outside, the bifold shutters, when closed, give continuity to the volumes. Likewise, the Schüco ADS 75.HD aluminum entrance door integrates perfectly into the entrance wall, creating an appearance of uniformity. Tecno Metal, a Schüco Premium Partner, used Schüco sliding aluminum pocket doors, which slide back completely into the exterior wall cavity. With a unique elegance, these solutions offer clean lines and integrate perfectly into the minimalist design that distinguishes both homes. They also maximize the amount of natural light entering the rooms, completely transforming the interiors, while adding value to the buildings and improving living quality. The perfectly level access of every door is both an aesthetic and functional asset, making it possible to move throughout the homes with no barriers.