The project to restore the building and improve its energy efficiency provided the opportunity, following an analysis of its critical issues, to experiment with a new way of living in an intimate space, based on the concept of being immersed in nature.
The main action has been to sottract a volume and the empty central patio area becomes the heart of the building that reconnects with the nature and the own inner world, in the middle of the historical center.
The house has been consciously designed, outside according to the existing austere shapes preserving the formal continuity with the surrounding historical context and instead inside it opens up to the new contemporary spaces which follow current ways of living.
The solid and austere main façade, charaterized by terraces with climbing plants and small shrubs, is historically related with traditional Mediterranean towns, for guarantee the privacy of indoor spaces and, at same time, offer views of the historical centre and the landscape.
Designed to respond both from a performance and an emotional point of view, the project, in addition to the active systems, special attention has been paid to passive systems by designing, a double-height patio, with a lush garden and a large opening skylight that regulates heat and moisture throughout the year: during the summer, it functions as a “wind tower”, sucking up cool air below and expelling the hot air above, while during the winter it acts light a "green house", capturing sunlight and heat to distribute it inside. Emotionally, the nature creates a microcosm capable of exploiting the natural resources of geothermal energy, solar radiation, air flows and recycled water, distributing physical well-being in accordance with the principles of biophilia.
The warm Puglian sun, the green Valle d’Itria and passion for nature were the inspiration behind this project to design a house for a Dutch couple who have chosen to make their home in one of Italy’s most picturesque towns: Cisternino.
The building, stands in the heart of the historical centre, overlooking the majestic and elegant main square on one side and a narrow alleyway on the other.
The long, narrow rectangular plan significantly limited natural lighting and air flow, making the building uncomfortable to live in, something that had led, over time, to its neglect.
The intervention is based on two principles: the first is of a "physical" type and aims at the connection with the surrounding historic urban fabric, the second is of a "metaphysical" type, referring to a transcendental contact with nature and the own inner world.
The studio has transformed this dualism into an architecture firmly linked to the territory which, through the patio, rises in height to overcome the borders, to look beyond, towards the sky.
The first floor of building is the oldest part of the building and is characterised by spaces with vaulted ceiling.
A suspended metal staircase, like a spiral through space and time, leads to the floors upstairs, marked by contemporary spaces and forms.
The private spaces on one side and living areas on the other overlook the central patio from more than one level and are linked by a glass walkway suspended between the garden and the sky.
Inspired by the beauty and charm of Puglia, with its many historic towns, we fell in love with the idea of living in the historic center of Cisternino. We were determined to make Puglia our home. When the Palazzo was proposed to us, we had an enlighting and realized that this was the place where our heart and soul longed to be. In 2017, the project began, a long and hard but magical journey. Our vision was perfectly aligned with Corsaro Architetti studio which turned it into reality.
Starting from the characteristics of places and reinterpreting them through contemporary language is the spirit of the Corsaro Architetti studio, founded in 2005 by architect Daniele Corsaro. The synthesis of complexity combined with the responsible use of materials and technologies guarantees the rigorous coherence of uncompromising works. The group is made up of a multidisciplinary team of professionals selected for their competence, experience and sensitivity, who are able to follow all the project development phases with enthusiasm and passion, from concept to implementation. The studio operates in the public and private sectors in different sectors and on different scales, from architecture to landscape, from urban planning to design, researching and experimenting from time to time with new solutions that make each result unique.