The location is central to the design of this villa. It sits in Manerba, on the shores of Lake Garda right next to what could be termed its "sister" villa in this joint project. The landscape, lake, olive groves and gentle undulations are both the basis for the design and the elements the building merges into. The project is about carefully considering the landscape, embracing and mirroring its value to create subtle, but deeply rooted elegance. The design - unassuming, yet not without character - stems from these underlying values and, by using definite architectural structures in combination with their absence, it allows one to imagine places filled with poetry.
This villa, the second of the two on this patch of land, is divided into two parts, with one section a single storey and the other a double. It lies on a slope, with a lawn and trees running down to the swimming pool. The surfaces of this pool and the lake seem to merge into a seamless body of water and colour, creating a focal point for the villa. The building faces onto the garden with a beautiful combination of nature and manmade features, especially the south-western and western sides, characterised by glazed facades. The west-facing single-storey building has continuous glazing that stretches to the edge of the property, ending in a roofed veranda framed by the supporting structures. This area has a wooden floor and offers a perfect spot for relaxing in summer out of the sun. The larch wooden section that juts out and frames the upper part of the glazing hides the aluminium brise soleil and the exterior roller blinds that protect one of the living areas from the summer sun. The main, double-storey section has large windows in varying shapes and sizes. The ground floor is largely open plan, with a living area and kitchen. The stairs up to the bedrooms have no hand rail and form an eye-catching series of geometrical elements that stand out against the painted walls. The guestroom, living and games areas and utilities room are at the back of the villa around a sort of internal courtyard.
The villa consists of relatively simple elements. The external and internal spaces are arranged by combining different materials, maintaining a sober, cautious approach and focusing on architectural elegance and the interaction with nature. The structure in reinforced concrete is clad on the outside with a combination of Credaro and Trani stones that have delicate, sophisticated hues. Internally, large painted surfaces are used in combination with sections lined with stone. The colour palette is an array of grey hues, where the keywords are "sober" and "colour harmony", in line with the philosophy for the entire project. On the stoned-clad walls, the windows are framed by stainless steel structures painted in brown, adding a touch of diversity to the materials and colours of the walls.
Photovoltaic panels have been integrated into the roof. The flat roof of the single-storey section is a sort of raised lawn that can be reached from the garden via external steps.

Francesco Pagliari