In Varzo, Italy, ATOMAA have transformed a stone building, previously used for livestock and hay storage, into a retreat that embraces the spirit of the mountains.
A new volume in harmony with the existing massing was added to accommodate additional living space with the entrance and living room located in the new volume, its heels on the mountain edge.
The living room is anticipated by a sort of vestibule. The space was conceived to observe the mountain and is accompanied by the warmth of a free-standing stove. Here the floor is in black resin, differentiating the new environment with the rest o the house, which is finished with black stained larch flooring.
The kitchen is positioned at heart of the home, within a double volume space of the existing building that is flooded with natural light. In addition, small windows frame the views towards the landscape, painting dynamic scenes as the seasons change. The service volume - with the kitchen wall and two flights stairs - is functional block for the use of the spaces for which it serves.
Down a narrow staircase the main bedroom is located on the lower floor, to ensure greater privacy but above all to the enjoy the view from the existing and refurbished stone arch. A unique tectonic element that mirrors and references the previous form, the arch shaped window with built in bench provides a space for sitting and looking out to the landscape.
Within the pitch of the double-volume dining room, a second room is tucked away, hidden by a retractable hatch. From this height, through an opening in the wall, the landscape can be admired through a glazed tympanum.
In response to the forested landscape of larch trees that surround, the architects employed timber elements where possible, recovering timber from the disposal of old floors and deteriorated beams, giving them new functions.
