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CS House

moramarco+ventrella

CS House
By Francesco Pagliari -

The original building, located in a nondescript residential section of Bitritto, a town near Bari, is from the second half of the 20th century and the goal was to revamp it to make it a family house. The simple exterior of the old structure, sitting on the corner of a crossroads, was slightly accented by the use of first-floor balconies on the two sides and a roof terrace.  
The alterations required pulling down and rebuilding sections. The basic external perimeter was maintained, but the new design sought a radical approach to simplification, and linearity of volumes and façade organisation. The balconies were removed, opening up room to reorganise the façades to create a clear expression of contemporary rationality, to introduce elegance and to improve natural lighting on the sides. The design is linear. The east-facing elevation has a solid section with only a couple of openings, for the garage and entrance, while the south side has a horizontal sunscreen on the lower section. On the upper part of the first floor, on the eastern side, the continuity of the plastered wall acts a backdrop to three stylized bow-windows, one for each bedroom (two grouped together and then a single one). The balconies were replaced with an effective, elegant solution that creates an impact by removing, rather than adding elements, and allows the light to be regulated using a combination of sliding shutters and internal roller blinds.The internal organization is characterised by the same search for functional clarity, differentiating the levels: the ground floor has a single large area for the living room and kitchen; the first floor has three bedrooms; the upper floor has the terrace and a studio that extends onto a patio overlooking the street with some glazing, which can be screened with sliding wooden panels. On the ground floor, a small "green" space divides the southern wall and the living and kitchen area, using a sunscreen to “soften” the light as need. In the demolition and reconstruction process, the stairs played a key role. Instead of a massive reinforced concrete structure, the new stairs in steel and wood - light and suspended - allow the light through the window on the terrace, providing quality natural illumination.
Francesco Pagliari

Location: Bitritto (BA)
Client: Privato
Completion: 2014
Gross Floor Area: 300 m2
Cost of Construction: 350,000 Euros
Architects: Moramarco+Ventrella architetti
Design Team: A. Berardi, A. Carannante
Works Management: Moramarco+Ventrella architetti
Contractor: Aresta Costruzioni

Consultants
Structural: G. Pantaleo
Technical Systems: M. D’Eligio

Suppliers
Shutters and Wooden Elements: Falpis
Bow Windows and Iron Elements: Ferrocreazioni
Sun Shading: Griesser
Window Fixtures: Finstral
Bathroom Fittings: Quaranta
Marble: Tangari Paolo Marmi

Photography: © Pasquale Boezio

 

moramarco+ventrella
moramarco+ventrella architetti was established in 2007 by Pierpaolo Moramarco and Stella Ventrella, extending a partnership that began in the classrooms of the Faculty of Architecture at Bari Polytechnic. The practice undertakes projects of various sizes, working with private clients and participating in competitions. Whether a project involves restoration, the design of a complex building, or urban redesign, its approach centres on achieving quality built on the architectural fundamentals of space, materials, light, and relationship with setting.The studio focuses in particular on residential projects, including restructuring, restoration, and reuse, with an emphasis on technological innovation and the evolution of architectural models. Its research work centres on interior architecture, the smaller scale allowing the team to examine and attend to every element through the study of construction details while furthering their exploration of the residential and commercial fields.
“moramarco+ventrella architetti” mainly operates in Italy, but also boasts an international clientele, with clients in Sweden and Spain in particular.The firm participates in numerous competitions, focusing on urban and regional projects of community importance, winning prizes and awards, including the “Premio Internazionale di Architettura Barbara Cappochin” in 2015 for Casa CS.

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