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Casa MRL was born from the need to give a new identity character to a 1970s building, and from the clients' need to divide the building into two separate units. Hence the idea of extending the ground floor and ‘dressing’ the existing façades with an articulated metal structure, which not only adds dynamism and character to the building, but also provides the second independent access required by the clients.
The new L-shaped volume is grafted onto the existing building, ‘embracing’ the ground floor, expanding its living spaces and providing new large views of the large surrounding garden. A continuous Siberian larch wood cladding worked with the Japanese Shou-sugi ban charring technique, which strongly characterises the architectural intervention, was laid over the entire extension volume.
Casa MRL is surrounded by the typical hilly landscape of Piedmont, characterised by rich vegetation, vineyards and woods that alternate to create a mosaic of colours and textures.
The architectural intervention is based on respect for this naturalistic context, thus seeking to integrate contemporary architecture with the surrounding landscape. The natural character is evident not only in the vegetal elements placed on all levels, but especially in the choice of the main finish, wood, which creates a strong connection with the external environment. The gait of the roof is designed to reproduce and integrate with the profile of the hills. The house's large windows allow full enjoyment of the large garden and the surrounding panorama, creating a strong continuity between inside and outside.
Underlying the project of Casa MRL is the desire to minimise environmental impact and maximise energy efficiency, combining eco-friendly technologies and materials to create an efficient, comfortable and environmentally friendly space.
The building is fully electric and is powered by the photovoltaic system located on the roof, thus significantly reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources.
The VMC system, powered by a high-efficiency heat pump, not only ensures optimal living comfort, but also reduces the energy consumption required for heating and cooling.
A rainwater collection and recovery system has been integrated to meet the irrigation needs of the large garden, helping to reduce drinking water consumption.
The building is on three levels above ground, like the existing building, and thanks to the ground floor extension, offers 500 square metres of living space, surrounded by another 650 square metres of garden. Given the client's need to have two separate and independent living units, the spaces were designed to create one flat on the ground floor and the other developed on the two upper levels, with independent access via an external staircase.
Hence the idea of turning a necessity into an opportunity; the need to build a staircase to provide independent access to the upper floors was in fact the ‘excuse’ to create a new ‘dress’ for the building. In fact, a metal structure designed according to a modular system was placed along the south and east façades, modelling the two façades and giving them a rhythm that is both dynamic and well-proportioned. What makes the structure even more dynamic is the interplay of solids and voids, where the solids are in some cases suspended hanging gardens and in others balconies.
Another characteristic element of the building is the continuous cladding used to emphasise the ground floor extension, consisting of Siberian larch wood slats worked with the Japanese Shou-sugi ban charring technique.
The design process created a strong bond between us and the architects, which lasted a long time through numerous meetings aimed at achieving a solution that met our expectations. The architects were able to respond effectively to all the critical issues that such a complex project inevitably generated, overcoming the challenges with competence and professionalism. Thanks to their commitment and ability to find innovative solutions, Casa MRL fully meets our functional and aesthetic requirements.
We are an architecture and interior design studio established in 2008 when the creativity of the two founding partners, Marco and Alessandro, became a mission: shaping ideas, turning them into reality. Supported by the skills and professionalism that distinguish our team, we imagine and build projects sewn ad hoc on each one, so that each project is a story in itself, a meticulous work like that of a tailor, made to measure, thanks also to the support of the artisans with whom we collaborate.
The common goal is to create spaces that respond to the needs of its users, whether it is a public client or a private client, therefore designed and calibrated to individual requests. We strongly believe that the role of our profession is neuralgic: coordinating, organizing, directing, conveying the work and efforts of all the figures involved toward the common goal, which is to realize the commissioned project to perfection with a skillful combination of empathy and design sensitivity.
