jm architecture
Borderland house, Uggiate Trevano, Como, Italy
Borderland House is the project of a villa located in the small town of Uggiate Trevano (Como), at the border with Switzerland, in a region that presents a landscape characterized by small hills and woods, with small and well distanced urban settlements. The main idea of the project was the elimination of the traditional distinction between the building and the lot where it's sitting, and the effort to integrate the interior and exterior spaces. Thanks to a well appointed distribution of solid and transparent partitions, the real envelope of the house disappears and the interior and exterior spaces melt as they were one single area. To make all this possible according to the building code, the main floor level has been set at a lower height than the road level, to be able to build the perimeter walls at the same height of the building. As a consequence, it is now difficult to distinguish which are the exterior walls and which are the building walls. Furthermore the rectangular lot presented a good elevation difference between the south and the north side. The house's shell is positioned on the north side for a better sun exposure on the south side for the outdoor areas and the indoor living areas. The north side of the building is therefore partially inserted in the ground and the bedrooms' outdoor area is a patio defined by three retaining walls which reflect the light into the rooms in every moment of the day. Due to this existing elevation gap, the garage, with its roof garden, disappear underground.
Borderland House is the project of a villa located in the small town of Uggiate Trevano (Como), at the border with Switzerland, in a region that presents a landscape characterized by small hills and woods, with small and well distanced urban settlements. The main idea of the project was the elimination of the traditional distinction between the building and the lot where it's sitting, and the effort to integrate the interior and exterior spaces. Thanks to a well appointed distribution of solid and transparent partitions, the real envelope of the house disappears and the interior and exterior spaces melt as they were one single area. To make all this possible according to the building code, the main floor level has been set at a lower height than the road level, to be able to build the perimeter walls at the same height of the building. As a consequence, it is now difficult to distinguish which are the exterior walls and which are the building walls. Furthermore the rectangular lot presented a good elevation difference between the south and the north side. The house's shell is positioned on the north side for a better sun exposure on the south side for the outdoor areas and the indoor living areas. The north side of the building is therefore partially inserted in the ground and the bedrooms' outdoor area is a patio defined by three retaining walls which reflect the light into the rooms in every moment of the day. Due to this existing elevation gap, the garage, with its roof garden, disappear underground.
Regarding the house's shell, the decision has been to build an energy efficient house with a timber structure entirely prefabricated, sitting on a concrete slab, and with natural insulation to be able to achieve the maximum level of energy certification. The perimeter walls are clad on the outside with horizontal wood siding painted white and the interior floors are 20 cm wide oak floor planks. The curtain-wall of the living area is a structural silicon façade with upper shadow-box to hide the thickness of the roof and the insulated glass has argon gas for maximum energy performance. The use of important energy efficient solutions as the integrated photovoltaic system set on the roof, makes the building completely autonomous in terms of power. The heat in fact is made by a radiant floor heating system powered by an electric unit, which avoids any introduction of gas into the atmosphere. Regarding the exterior instead, the perimeter walls of the lot are build in exposed concrete painted white, with horizontal reveals cast in it. The floor decks are done with Ipe wood planks and the inserts are in white gravel. The swimming pool is located on the south end of the lot and it's inserted in three high perimeter walls, and becomes the perfect conclusion of the entire scheme.