Fienile N is part of a small private hamlet nestled in the Florentine countryside. Before the intervention that transformed it into a residential building, the structure had always served as a storage facility for the surrounding rural complex.

The building features architectural elements typical of barns in this region of Italy: a solid, compact volume; two levels; a large—often solitary—ground-floor opening to allow access for agricultural vehicles; and wide, partially screened upper-floor openings designed to ventilate hay.

In this case, as the structure is embedded into the hilly terrain, the upper floor also benefits from a separate entrance. The design challenge lay in organizing the interior living spaces without altering or impacting the existing structure, in order to preserve the recognizability of the building’s original function.

To uphold this intent, the design centered around an added volume—a "box"—capable of fulfilling multiple roles and addressing, with a simple gesture, the need to divide the interior into distinct functional areas without compromising the existing masonry. Positioned in front of the upper entrance, this box separates the entryway from the rest of the space, provides guest storage, conceals and protects the internal staircase, houses a bathroom, and incorporates the kitchen.

The only point of contact between the new intervention and the original building envelope is a technical pipe, which extends from the inserted volume up to the roof to accommodate service systems. From the outside, the original openings remain unchanged in size and position, though their infills have been adapted.

Barns in this area are characterized by semi-permeable brick infills known as gelosie, which regulate air flow and light penetration. Building on this, the project introduced an inversion of the conventional residential layout: the living area is placed on the upper floor, while the sleeping quarters occupy the ground level. This arrangement allows the bedroom to be more intimate and enclosed, while the upper floor benefits from a more open, panoramic quality.

Here, seven openings frame expansive, picturesque views of the surrounding hills. Only two of these are filtered by gelosie, offering privacy and a sense of introspection given the nearby structures in the hamlet.

Overall, the intervention adopts a simple, contemporary approach while remaining grounded in the preservation of the building’s original materials and characteristics.

The beams and truss were preserved from extensive structural consolidation, and the new flooring—wood and industrial concrete, respectively—echo the rural, handcrafted finishes of the original condition, such as handmade cement and rough wooden planks. The internal staircase retains its monolithic character.