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The chalet with upturned perspectives, panoramic views and material use

Icona Architetti Associati

Interior  /  Completed
Icona Architetti Associati

The project idea for the Sestriere residence arose from the need to enhance a disorganized, aesthetically lacking mountain house built at the end of the last millennium. The owners, deeply attached to the house they had owned for over thirty years, wanted to reorganize the space to highlight the visual connection with the beautiful valley. Icona approached the project with sensitivity and creativity, proposing a radical yet convincing solution. The concept evolved through a long and collaborative process, ultimately focusing on two main macro-themes: panoramic views and material use.

The project relates to the surrounding landscape by maximizing the panoramic views offered by the privileged house’s location. By placing the main entrance, living, and dining areas on the first floor instead of the ground floor and removing old partitions, the design allows for a generous space bathed by natural light and an unobstructed 180-degree vista on the magnificent scenery through large windows. Situated within a complex of mountain chalets, the house maintains a constant dialogue with the alpine aesthetic, despite the reconfiguration of the interior spaces.

The intervention places a strong emphasis on sustainability and eco-compatibility by using local and reclaimed materials. Specifically, reclaimed antique fir wood from old valley buildings was used for coverings and furnishings, preserving its historical marks through skilful and meticulous handwork. Other sustainable materials included local stone. Custom-designed furnishings and the use of handcrafted techniques also contributed to the homogeneous and coherent flow of spaces. While no specific awards or certifications were mentioned, the project reflects the firm's respect for vernacular architecture and local identity, demonstrating a deep commitment in preserving natural and cultural resources, as evident in the careful selection and treatment of materials.

The project stands out for having transformed an irrational layout into a functional and aesthetically pleasing setting. One of the main strengths of the careful and meticulous redefinition is the constant visual interaction achieved with the natural context. The rearrangement of the interior spaces created well-proportioned and vertically dynamic environments. On the ground floor, a hybrid space, dominated by a large garden-facing window, functions as both a secondary living area and a bedroom, thanks to a disappearing wall that isolates the room. A deliberately, thoughtful reduced palette of local and reclaimed materials, limited to wood, Luserna stone and iron, reinforces the identity of the house, imbuing the ambiance with warmth and familiarity, while the continuity of spaces and materials generates a sense of uniformity, transforming the residence into a cohesive and fluid architectural ecosystem. Contemporary strokes as a floating iron and wood staircase, with a chestnut monolith base, blends through innovative design functionality and attractive appeal.

The work perfectly exemplifies how the courage to follow new paths can radically transform an environment, overturning traditional perspectives and expressing unexplored potentialities, without altering but rather emphasizing an important contextual integration. The thoughtful use of reclaimed materials and a virtuous encounter between textures and contemporary details revitalise this mountain home, creating an elegant, welcoming place that reflects the soul of its inhabitants.

Credits

 Sestriere
 Italy
 Privato
 Abitazione privata
 01/2023
 150 sq. m
  300,000.00 €
 Icona Architetti Associati - Federica Poggio, Marco Orto
 Domenico Cacciapaglia, Pietro Molinari
 R.F. SOLUTIONS S.R.L.
 Geom. Cristian Massimino
 Falegnameria Arlaud Srl, Versino Marmi Snc, Grohe SpA, Made a Mano Srl. Barzaghi Salotti Srl, Brun Fine Art, Black out Srl srl, Penta Light, Carl Hansen & son, Cosentino Dekton,Tubes, Wever&Ducrè, Rotaliana, Flos, Oluce
 Paolo Riolzi

Curriculum

Icona Architetti Associati is an architecture and design studio founded in Milan in 2013 by Marco Orto and Federica Poggio.Heir to the modern lesson of the Italian masters of the 20th century and aware of the suggestions of the contemporary,Icona claims an immersive and humanistic approach to design.The Milan-based studio embraces a wide range of operational scales, from master plan to product design, thanks to a vast and elastic network of collaborators, both nationally and internationally.Their work always originates from a dialogue:human and sensory,with people and contexts.Materials are given a central role:this is the idea of “Icona Touch,”a multisensory concept in which optical and haptic come together in a single experience. The axiom of fluidity is also part of Icona’s fundamentals.The ability to modulate space according to seasons and functions is the method used to create flexible eco-systems.Fluidity that, together with the curved line, symbolizes the true signature of Icona

http://iconaarchitetti.com


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