Villa Comano

 

October 3, 2018 | Architecture

Villa Comano by Attilio Panzeri & Partners

Villa Comano is a modern and contemporary home with concrete and wood design by Attilio Panzeri & Partners. A Comano-based architect firm in Switzerland.

The home is located on the hills that pose as the crown of Lugano, a Swiss-Italian city which boasts a breathtaking view stretching from the Lugano Lake itself to the mountains of high Capriasca. The peculiar morphology between terrain and orientation – naturally towards the lake – convinced the architects to design a compact block shunning its dorsal access, remaining completely open on the remaining three sides, prioritizing the panorama.

Upon much consideration and pigment sampling, the choice of color to close the concrete skin was black, cased in very rough-grained wooden boards; not only for the facades but to excavate the inhabitable voids as well.

Attaining such result was no simple feat; it was only possible through extensive collaboration with chemical engineers and other competent specialists in material manipulation. Despite material opacity, the large openings allow abundant light to gently invade its interior, and diffuse throughout. The wooden door and window frame creates a contrast between grayish concrete and the yellow-brownish wood grain. It gives an industrial feel, yet minimalistic.

Photo by Alessandro Crinari, Giorgio Marafioti