La Casa Nell' Orto—House in the Orchard—was a unique architectural project from the onset. Clients Spartaco and Cinzia, both Tuscan dentists, desired a little home where they could occasionally reside and grow vegetables and other plants. They engaged LDA.iMdA architetti associati to create a house capable of cultivating their favorite hobby.

The site had been degraded by urban sprawl, so the architects sought to reactivate the true sense of the place while integrating innovative construction methods. The project was not only an exploration of physical form, but also a study in how a simple architectural form relates to the function and the identity of those residing within it.

The simple, pure external shape was just the starting point for this sustainable greenhouse of the future, which blends house and garden. LDA.iMdA architetti associati executed the project in phases, and the first realized volume was the enclosed housing unit, which offers 904 square feet of living space.

LDA.iMdA architetti associati designed the home's envelope with an inclination in the sidewall that makes the most of the building's footprint and negates the need for a traditional rain gutter. Every detail reflects a thoughtful solution related to the function of the form.

To reduce the impact on the surrounding landscape, the floor of the home was lifted. This slight elevation also solved hydraulic problems related to greenhouse function.

With phase one complete, the homeowners look forward to the next phase of construction, which will increase the building's footprint with greenhouse elements capable of cultivating vegetables in the winter, further fusing house and garden in an innovative formwork. The hope, as stated by the architects themselves, is that such forms may become a model for a fluid and dynamic society.

Related Reading:

10 Greenhouses That Will Inspire You to Grab Your Gardening Tools

10 Modern Gardens That Freshen Up Traditional Homes

Project Credits:

Architect of Record, Interior, and Lighting Design: LDA.iMdA architetti associati / @lda.imda

Builder / General Contractor: CardelliBros

Structural Engineer: Daniele Nesti

Cabinetry Design / Installation: Mazzoni studio d'interni

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This Utopian “House in the Orchard” Is Part Home and Part Greenhouse