Named Green Vision, this two family house was designed by architect practice UdA. Nestled on a steep slope in hilly terrain in the province of Turin, north-west Italy, it commands magnificent views of the lowland below clustered with an assortment of farmland and small towns. The relation between nature and architecture is the pivotal theme of the programme: how the two interact and to what extent this man made structure enhances its composite setting. In this case the relationship involves the immediate and distant landscape. The solutions adopted acutely reflect the intrinsic ambivalence of any building, i.e. that it changes but at the same time becomes part of the landscape. Architecture adds a dimension to its environment but at the same time prevents or limits others. An extended south-facing elevation enhances the view over the lowlands in the distance, making the far off landscape part of the living space. Full height glazed picture windows, and a projecting upper level whose recessed balconies lie flush with the façade, extending the ample living areas, help to make the pictorial scenery an integral part of the house. As to the building’s rapport with its immediate surrounds - a nearby wood and the steeply sloping terrain - the answer has been to camouflage the side walls with a mantle of synthetic grass on multilayer marine plywood boards applied to the ventilated envelope exterior. An identically covered flat roof is another key feature. Visible yet unobtrusive, its horizontal line projects out towards the plain. An imitation of the natural elements nearby, it paradoxically makes the building stand out from its surrounds. Access to the house is across a steel beam-and-parapet walkway connecting the road above the house with the roof. A flight of concrete stairs leads to the lower floor entrance and a long narrow corridor leading through the house to the south-facing side where a full-height opening frames the view. This semi-detached house is doubtless an...
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Interview with Frank Gehry
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