The Villa Accenti building is a barchessa dating to late ninenteenth century which originally it was part of a bigger real estate structure. It’s situated in a small countryside town next to the city of Castelfranco Veneto and it’s an example of rural architecture at the service of the agricultural activity.The project consists in the revitalization of the complex, which was long abandoned, through the design of eight residential units, also developing the design of the interiors, in particolar the living areas.
The focus of the project and the real ispiration principle was the reference of the historical park, partly bounded by the old city wall. Inside it was identified a lot of valuable trees both for the species and for the dating, which was estimated in some cases around three hundred years old. It was performed maintenance and care to the tree species, it’s done the redesign of crossing pats, the recovery of the original shading structure for the climbing green, besides the making of small urban garden and space for shelter for small domestic animals.
The new residential units were orientated according to the natural context, through placing the living areas on the south side, while the rooms and the services on the north side. For each unit there is a private garden, bounded by box hedges, like that making an extension of the living spaces to the outside in order to use it in the warm seasons.
Talking about the paths, the masterplan includes the reconfirmation of the historical access gap though the passing portico, and the making of a new carriage entrance on the west side of the property. As well it was designed a portico structure for the recovery of the inhabitans’ cars.
The restoration intervention considered the supporting structures of the brickwork and wooden floors, leading to an seismic improvement of the structures involving the foundations though the reinforcement and consolidation elements.
The costruction techniques used are all of the traditional type, after the historical nature of the building. Talking about the new structural elements, it was used the solid wood and articles of steel carpentry. For the façade cladding it was used the natural marmorino , enriched by the traditional bands, the lesene, the embossed frames with the result of natural stone.
The wooden windows were restored with the recovery of the original hardware. The metallic elements making the railings, the gates, elements of subdivision of the private spaces, were tailored designed though the use of rod or tubular steel with cor-ten shade paint or the brass. For the flooring , in the internal spaces we choice the plywood of beech, and the external spaces the freshly washed concrete, usually present in this kind of contexts.
Generally the project could be an example of modern co-housing, where there is a good fusion of residential private spaces and external spaces shared by the inhabitants, inside of a very fascinating historical place.
