Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Countertop, Sink, Windows, BeamStone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Table, Windows, Bedroom, BeamStone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - StairsStone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - ArchStone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - More Images+ 24

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Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Countertop, Chair, Beam
© Hannes Henz

Text description provided by the architects. The original substance of this historic stone house, in the core of the village of Scaiano, consists in a main building with a cellar with vault and two floors above with kitchen, living and sleeping spaces. A later added annex, also completely made in solid natural stone, contained on the ground floor a small grape brandy distillery, on the 1.floor a room with above an attic. An exterior stone stairs and some small walls in front of the main facade, seems to have been created in the same time as the annex. In front of the main building there was originally – before the annex was built - a small square, the only one in the village structure.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Windows, Brick, Facade
© Hannes Henz

Before the conversion this building was inhabited for over two decades. It was protected with a provisory roof against decay, but it needed a complete renovation to be adapted to the contemporary needs of comfort. The stone walls were mainly maintained, just the joints had to be remade. The isolation is applied at the inside of the walls. All wooden beam floors were replaced with concrete floors, which reinforce the old walls additionally.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Door, Windows, Brick, Facade
© Hannes Henz

On the main house, a new pitched roof in wood construction was inserted in the stone walls, meanwhile on the annex it was created a roof terrace with a natural stone-paved floor.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Sink, Bathroom
© Hannes Henz

The main architectural target of the intervention was to carve out the force of the massive stonewalls and to gain this archaic simplicity of the volume of the historic building. So the external stone staircase was removed to create again the small village square in front of the house, with a fountain and bench, which invites to spontaneous encounters.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Image 29 of 29
Section B

The old cellar with vault becomes the new main entrance: it was divided in an unheated outdoor zone and in heated entrance zone with the wardrobe and a small room with washbasin and shower. On one side the old stonewall was cut out and a stair was integrated, to lead up to the upper floors. The old grape brandy distillery is now also connected to the cellar with vault and can be used as a cool summer outdoor loggia with a simple fireplace in raw steel.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Image 10 of 29
© Hannes Henz

The glass façade in front the rooms, towards the lake, has been placed with a distance of about 60 cm from the old stonewalls. This glass front protects against the outside climate and it’s like a second skin behind the effective facade. This outer zone is mainly not covered and it rains in.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Windows, Facade
© Hannes Henz

This concept allows on the one hand the authentic conservation of the historic stone façade, which tells the history of the house and on the other hand, it generates zenith light for the rooms with exceptional light reflections. It would not have been possible otherwise to get sunlight into the rooms, in such a village structure with narrow streets.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Image 21 of 29
Ground Floor Plan

The materialization of the interior is adapted to the archaic existing: natural impregnated cement floors, stone grey plaster for walls and ceilings, oiled larch wood joinery.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Countertop, Sink, Windows, Beam
© Hannes Henz

The new intervention is not contrasting the existing substance, new and old are merging together and creating a new ensemble.

Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects - Arch
© Hannes Henz

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Cite: "Stone House Transformation in Scaiano / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects" 21 Oct 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/557455/stone-house-transformation-in-scaiano-wespi-de-meuron-romeo-architects> ISSN 0719-8884

© Hannes Henz

Scaiano石头小屋改造项目 / Wespi de Meuron Romeo architects

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