The Villa Dellago project, by the architect Jacopo Mascheroni of Studio JM Architecture, winner of the first prize in the Residential Building category of the 13th edition of the Grand Prix international architecture competition, is a private residence nestling in the natural landscape in Torri del Benaco, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda in Italy.
The interior flooring, the raised exterior flooring and the roof have been tiled using the colour Pietra del Cardoso, while the colour Onsernone was chosen for the pool. Both colours are from the Pietre di Paragone collection, and the 30x60 cm tiles cover a total surface of 720 sq.m.
The guidelines for the project were inspired by the landscape of the setting. The building is set into one of the natural terraces of the surrounding landscape, and is situated parallel to the lake, on a compact surface to reduce excavation and earth removal to a minimum.
The single floor above ground hosts the living area to the south and the master bedroom to the north. The utility areas and the entrance hall are located in the solid central volume of the construction, where stairs lead down to the basement area, constructed following a careful study of the slope of the ground. Thanks to the two large patios opening out towards the lake, the utility areas enjoy plenty of natural light, and are shaped to blend into the slope of the land.
The large windows on the façades of the main floor offer views of the lake from all the rooms, making for a light, bright construction. The flat roof, with a height of just over 3 metres, projects outwards on all four sides, blending with the surrounding trees and hedges to strike a perfect balance between light and shadow all around the building. The surface of the roof was thus treated as a sort of fifth front, concealing the technical elements from view and covering the whole surface with porcelain stoneware tiles, arranged in a pattern designed for the project.
The only opaque part of the façade frames the master bathroom on the main floor, which is, however, illuminated by the light from the open-top patio that extends the interiors into a wet area on the outside. This part of the façade is entirely covered in engineered wood planks, with an oak finish that recalls the shades of colour that characterise the natural landscape and complement the neutral tones of the horizontal surfaces in porcelain stoneware.
A white aluminium frame at the base of the volume indicates the edge of the covered portico that extends right around the building, marking off the floating floor surfaces tiled in porcelain stoneware. Inserted into the south side of the surrounding land is a swimming pool incorporated into the shape of the building. The pool is also covered with ceramic tiles, this time in a darker colour that contrasts with the flooring.
The fixed décor elements have been made to measure throughout: from the oak wood panelling that covers the opaque sections to the kitchen, with a number of utility systems integrated into it. The mobile furnishing elements seem to float around the glass-paned areas, enhancing the light, transparent appearance of the building envelope. Privacy is maintained using concealed roller blinds, perfectly integrated into the perimeter of the ceiling, in the glass-paned areas.
The garden has been designed with contours that follow the level of the ground, while the vegetation adapts to the physical characteristics of the landscape, with grass on the flat terraces and particular plant species on the more distinctly sloping areas.
The project sought to preserve the existing olive and cypress trees, since the vegetation was considered an important aspect for the comfort of the client.
