UP House

Truth in architecture is a tricky thing – even fans of ‘architectural honesty’ can find themselves hard-pressed to identify what is ‘real’ versus ‘phony’ in the realm of contemporary (or historical) buildings.

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modern rustic renovation

This adaptive reconstruction demonstrates a remarkable balance of approaches – on the one hand, it uses traditional building materials, techniques, scales and shapes, but it also introduces clearly modern elements.

UP House wooden door detail

Inspired by the barn-over-stable that sat on the site before it was built, the two-story stone structure maintains a large wooden face that, at a distance, resembles a giant-sized door. Up close, though, everything is too neat – and even from far away, the rectilinear interventions let the viewer know that they are not looking at a purely historical work.

view from loft
UP House built in cabinetry

Inside, heavy timber likewise recalls the former structure but modern proportions, simplicity and colors can also be found alongside the wood-and-slate essentials. This remote Italian project was designed by Es Arc Architecture.

UP House living room

“The project plans the reconstruction of an existing building, respecting the same profile. The old building was distributed on two levels with different function, stable at ground floor and barn at first floor. On the outside the existing building is characterized by two overlapping doors on east elevation, a great entrance on south elevation, a little independent volume still on south.”

“The intention of new building project is to improve itself in relation of its context and to enhance some existing elements in the architectural composition. The new volume, based on traditional forms, doesn’t distort the context relations and proportions. It’s obtain a building strongly connected to the context that revise some important elements of the old building.”

“The double overlapping doors becomes the great wood and glass façade on east elevation. Due to impossibility to freely reinter pretate form and volume, the project use the existing “ingredients”. The great rectangle, useful to rural practice in the past, in the present it contains the windows and become the main character of the new house.”