VERTICAL GARDEN HOUSE in Varese, Italy by Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

Article source: Luca Compri Architetti  [LCA] 

The project involves the transformation of a residential building built in the early 1900s.

The restoration entails a loft conversion and the creation of a metallic structure on the south-facing façade of the building.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

• Architects: Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]
• Project: VERTICAL GARDEN HOUSE
• Location: Varese, Italy
• Photography: Simone Bossi

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

The objective is to maintain, despite increasing the volume and the height, the pleasant pre-existing house type (not apartment block).

The new structure recalls houses designed by children, without an overhanging roof or eaves and with big windows positioned on a unique two-dimensional façade. To achieve this aim, the fibre cement exterior cladding panels cover both the pitched roof and the attic’s vertical walls up to the string-course between the first and second floors.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

The new volume, which completely replaces the old “pagoda” roofing, is made of prefabricated wooden materials with a framework system. Such choice was driven by a sustainable design approach as well as not to impose excessive loads on the existing brickwork.

Another characteristic of the project is the valued relationship between the small, narrow garden and the house.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

In addition to ensuring direct solar radiation control, the suspended structure on the south-facing façade tends to integrate the green with the building.

The new “green” façade has a bio-climatic function and acts as a support for the climbing plants, allowing a uniform vegetal covering. In this way, the horizontality of the green space rises vertically on the building’s façade, seamlessly linking the house and the garden.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

The decoration design of the façade recalls old crochet lacework and wooden aviaries from the early 1900s, collector’s items which clients are particularly fond of.

The stratigraphy and the materials used adhere to the principles of bio-architecture: wood frame structure, wood fibre insulation panels, gypsum fibreboard interior finishing and fibre cement exterior wall cladding panels.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

The great attention to energy saving and interior comfort for inhabitants of these new wooden houses are additional considerations typical of the LCA studio’s sustainable approach.

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

Image Courtesy © Simone Bossi

Image Courtesy © Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

Image Courtesy © Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

Image Courtesy © Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

Image Courtesy © Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

Image Courtesy © Luca Compri Architetti [LCA]

LCA (Luca Compri architetti) opened his own studio in the city of Varese (Northern Italy) in 2004. Luca Compri developed his competences in the field of sustainability and became a successful pioneer regarding construction techniques and construction materials like wood and “raw” earth.

In 2008 Compri became a consultant of the Associazione Nazionale Architettura Bioecologica (ANAB). At the same time he was invited as guest speaker at seminars and writes articles. Over the years, the studio is also very active abroad, especially in Chad, Africa.

He works on projects of different scale and nature: from concept phase to building phase.

In these last years he has built big buildings such as: social housing complex, ecological industrial buildings, grand hotel and universities. He is also involved in smaller projects such as private houses, renovations and experimental micro-architecture.

The main interest of the office regards the context and the inner architectural spaces in order to create a comfort situation for the inhabitants of the buildings, with a continuous attempt to melt the unique values of nature with the geometrical and rational soul of architecture.

Tags: Italy, Varese

Category: House

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