CRN: a summer house set in the Sicilian countryside
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CRN: a summer house set in the Sicilian countryside

ACA - Amore Campione Architettura

CRN: a summer house set in the Sicilian countryside
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CRN is a summer house built from scratch in Vendicari, not far from Noto in the Sicilian province of Syracuse. Designed by ACA (Amore Campione Architettura), the home connects its occupants to the surrounding countryside, offering them opportunities for rest and relaxation.

The site has a moderate slope and overlooks the sea and a nature reserve. The goal of the project was for the architecture to blend into the landscape, without interrupting its flow, while adapting to the natural slope of the hill. To ensure the least possible impact on its setting, and to underscore its strong link with it, part of the house was built under the ground, with the surrounding land shaped around it. Another key element of the entire project is its roof, conceived as a large green plane that unites all the interior spaces, while serving the dual purpose of creating continuity with the landscape and insulating the home.

The path to the house is marked by native plants and a monolithic wall that extends all the way to the entrance. Another wall, which runs perpendicular to the first, defines an outdoor room near the entrance while framing the landscape. By way of a contrast to the monolithic structure that distinguishes the home’s full volumes, the eastern elevation is wide open to the surrounding views.

The interior layout is organized around three main blocks, the first comprising the living area and kitchen; the second, the sleeping area; and the third, a guest area, which extends into the underground section. The blocks have their own independent entrances but are also linked by a single interior passageway.

Other distinguishing elements of the interior include the choice of materials and the way natural light has been used to transform the rooms at different times of the day. With their rough, almost raw finish, the building materials create a homogeneity of color that brings particular design elements into focus. The plaster used for the walls, for example, is composed of aerial lime, finely divided natural pozzolans, stone powders, and siliceous limestone sand. The floors are treated with a cement resin in a similar shade to the walls and local soil.

The landscape enters the house and becomes a part of it via two large windows, with thresholds embedded into the floor, creating continuity between the interior and the outdoor space by the pool.

Built area: 260 mq

Design: Sebastiano AmoreAngela Maria Campione
Collaborators: Federica Gioja, Valeria Di Paola, Marialaura Calogero
Construction management: Giuseppe Ingallina

Photo: ACA - Amore Campione Architettura

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