Blurring Boundaries between Indoors and Out

By Editorial Staff - 1 April 2025
Secco Sistemi has participated in the project

A dense forest of deciduous trees, with hornbeams and maples, frames the property, enveloping a villa in classic Veneto style, its silhouette softened by a long, but slightly lower porticoed outbuilding – a barchessa, as it is known locally. Nestling in the lush greenery of the garden, MC House is the product of an ambitious renovation and extension by the ANK architecture practice in Preganziol (Treviso), a project that seamlessly merges the refined elegance of a historic Veneto villa with innovative materials and technology. At its core lies a dynamic interplay between nature and architecture, tradition and contemporary design such that the primal forces of the landscape have been distilled into the home’s interior to create a living space where people feel connected to the local ecosystem.

A central glass prism characterizes the villa’s main entrance, seamlessly linking the original structure with the barchessa extension. Echoing the lines of the main house, the barchessa has wooden beams that extend the roof’s slope directly to the ground. This design choice bestows an ethereal quality on the copper-clad roof, as if it were lightly set in place, almost floating above the structure.

I confini tra indoor e outdoor si fanno impercettibili

Drawing on the style of the entrance prism, the barchessa and main core of MC House embrace floor-to-ceiling glazing as a signature feature, blurring the boundary between indoors and out. A major role in this was played by Secco Sistemi, which provided glass doors, large sliding glass panels, fixed glazing and skylights – all characterized by slim profiles and crisp lines that have minimal architectural impact and enhance the sense of immersion in nature. The OS2 system by Secco Sistemi combines sleek design with top-tier performance, delivering both thermal and acoustic insulation. Notably, here, there are over 40 profiles, configured in different combinations to maximize transparency and purity of form.

At MC House, the OS2 systems are combined with EBE thermal-break solutions, which maintain a flush exterior between sash and frame while delivering excellent insulation and weather resistance. Available in multiple frame designs, the EBE profiles also offer broad material flexibility, ranging from stainless and galvanized steel to Cor-Ten steel and burnished brass. The effect is striking: the lines between the architecture and landscape almost vanish, as natural light and the villa’s lush surroundings spill effortlessly into the interiors.