Somewhere Under the Tuscan Sun
-
This 1930s farmhouse on the coast of Tuscany is sited on a podere, land claimed from the low-lying salt marshes by the Fascist government in the early decades of the 20th century. The Dutch technique of “podering” the landscape refers to the process of creating a grid of levees and then draining the squares, which leaves a gridded farmscape with low, even ridges dividing it.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
Clemente and her partners used the geometry of the podere as their guide for the house’s design, creating a glazed living room that is cleaved in half by a line (a hallway at one point, a wall in another) that connects visually and spatially with one of these old levees in the landscape. With Podere 43, the architects successfully emphasized and made visible the topography of the Tuscan landscape in the building itself.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
An old grain silo in the backyard was transformed into a Turkish bath with mosaic tiles and a translucent ceiling, and the front yard was leveled to accommodate a grove of olive trees and space for morning yoga.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
Podere 43 allows for an endless array of leisure activities like ping-pong.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
The ever-important Italian kitchen pours out through glass walls into the living room and onto the porch. A group of benches allows guests to hang out, drink wine, and pester the chef, while stainless-steel basins on rollers underneath give hungry kids easy access to snacks. Stainless-steel-and-glass shelving by the architects provides open storage for plates and glassware.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
Though it’s inside, this light-filled room allows for a nearly alfresco dining experience. The Fucsia pendant lamps are by Achille Castiglioni. The couch in the living area is by Antonio Citterio.Photo by: Jacob Langvad -
Labics took their design cues from the original structure’s history and function: The form of the industrial-looking double chimney, for example, was derived from an old stack placed on an adjacent farm. For the water feature, at right, a moat-like trench surrounding the house was dug to reduce humidity in the foundation.Photo by: Jacob Langvad
Categories:
More
Double Time
The last time Blake Trabulsi and Allison Orr had a party at their house in Austin, Texas, it lasted until 5 a.m. Observes Trabulsi: “People are so comfortable here, they never want to leave.”
Back Storied
Without altering its turn-of-the-20th-century facade, architect Christopher Polly transformed the rear of this Newtown, Australia, home from bleak to bright.
Victorian Revival
A couple’s dinner out at their neighborhood bistro provides just the right impetus for their restaurant-inspired kitchen renovation.
Barns Ennobled
Subverting the traditional, conservatively cozy British barn conversion, Carl Turner created a getaway in rural Norfolk for himself and his friends to visit, repose, and consider the beauty of…
Add comment