D House

View into the central court of the building.

Project Details

• Project Name: D House
• Client: Private
• Project Type: Residential design
• Principal Designer: Lapo Ruffi
• Design Team: Antonio Monaci, Lorenzo Santini
• Date of commencement of project: January 2002
• Date of completion of project: February 2005
• Location of site: Via Dalmazia 257, Pistoia, Italy
• Built-up Area: 382 square metres

View of the eastern facade of the building that faces the main street.

The Building

The design process saw an existing building in north-west Pistoia- a typical example of an early 20th century council block- modified by a series of structural interventions. The design is inspired by the search for a language that restores dignity to the architectural vocabulary of the building and those living in it.

D House -- Conceptual sketches [opens in a pop-up window - 61.1kb image]

D House -- Conceptual sketches [opens in a pop-up window - 68.2kb image]

View of the galvanized iron window panels.

A small detached grey stone staircase indicates the new access from the road on a white plaster facade with perforated galvanized iron panels which act as sunshades. These can be opened to 45, 90 or 180° and are a characteristic element of the new stylistic balance, emerging as a variation on the largely symmetric elevation.

View of the light filled interiors of the building.

A simple, light-filled space with highly basic details evokes the traditional and accentuates the formal contrast with the other houses in the street. All the shared interior areas, including the entrance hall and staircase are treated with the same grey resin to create an effect of visual uniformity. A shaft of light from the ceiling vertically divides the space and provides additional light along with the existing windows.

The largely controlled material and color palette lend the building its unique vocabulary.

There are two home units on each of the three floors: a living room overlooking the road, bathroom in the central area and bedrooms on the sides of the small inner courtyard. Here the windows form an asymmetrical pattern of spaces and adjustable panels. The architecture originates from the poetic synthesis of very few materials - plaster, maple wood, galvanized iron, resin and stone - which express a clear language when articulated in all details of the design.

Credits

• Text: Courtesy of the architect
• Photographs: Courtesy of the architect
• Compiled and edited by Manish Mehta