Located on the Sicilian coast near Palermo, this 100-square-metre terrace extension redefines an existing family villa through a lightweight architectural intervention that expands domestic life into the landscape. Originally conceived as a simple master-suite terrace, the project evolved into a layered outdoor environment shaped by climate, craft, and daily rituals.

The design is organised around a lightweight steel structure that supports a system of locally sourced reed screens (cannucciato), a traditional Sicilian material typically used for shading and enclosure. Reinterpreted in a contemporary context, the reeds act as a primary architectural device, filtering sunlight, modulating privacy, and generating a shifting interplay of light and shadow throughout the day. This passive system reduces solar exposure while enhancing the atmospheric quality of the terrace, allowing the space to adapt naturally to seasonal and diurnal changes.

Beneath the elevated terrace, the ground level is articulated as a sequence of outdoor living spaces, each supporting a specific domestic ritual. These include an outdoor shower for returning from the sea, a shaded dining area, a lounge space, and a small wine bar oriented toward sunset views. Rather than being defined as separate functions, these elements are connected through continuous spatial flow, encouraging informal and flexible use of the terrace across different times of day.

The project was developed and constructed through close collaboration with local craftsmen, including metalworkers, reed suppliers, and specialists in cement-based finishes. Working directly on site allowed the design to evolve through continuous feedback between drawing and making. Details were adjusted in real time, enabling a more direct translation of material behaviour into architectural form.

Over the course of the project, the spatial orientation shifted from an initial focus on the sea toward a more complex relationship with the surrounding landscape. The silhouette of the nearby mountain range (La Femmina Morta) became a secondary focal point, reframing the terrace as a space of dual orientation, between horizon and landform, exposure and shelter.

The result is a lightweight intervention that operates as both structure and filter, mediating between architecture and environment and seamlessly integrating with the existing house. Through material restraint and climatic responsiveness, the project reinterprets traditional construction techniques to create a contemporary domestic landscape rooted in place.