External Cladding in House in the Wood | Sapiens

Sapien develops interior and exterior finishes from predominately natural materials with a value on aesthetics, sustainability and functionality. Sapien's Ardes exterior cladding was used in the House in the Woods project, located in Brescia, Italy.

House in the Woods is a private, residential villa close to a mountain, where the architects aimed to merge the design with its surrounding natural landscape. They decided to choose materials that not only respected nature in their sustainability but replicated nature too, creating a building that is almost camouflaged and harmonious with the environment.

Their search for exterior cladding that resembled tree bark led them to Sapien's Ardes Dry Plank Hi-Tech in black. This cladding utilizes the fireskin 330 carbonization technique, which adds strength and durability to the wooden planks through the burning of its external surface. Subsequently, through a patent that only Sapiens holds, hi-tech nanotechnology stabilizes the burning by preventing the release of residue from carbonization and at the same time applying a pigment, and the Ardes Dry Hi-Tech range is born.

The project involved applying Ardes Dry coating on Accoya joists for a carefully designed substructure. The layout incorporated metal inserts in the openings and altered the pattern in the risers. Vertical sections of the building were alternated with horizontal cladding around windows and doors to create a balanced design. This pattern, combined with the building's 5-meter height, enhances its sleek, elongated appearance.