Renovation Vernacular Building

Renovation Vernacular Building | Ticino, Switzerland | 2022
[Enrico Sassi Architetto]

The original building was a small vernacular building in stone masonry, used as a wood storage, in the historic center of Aldesago. The block is composed of a sequence of contiguous buildings, the building is located at one end and therefore has three elevations: two shorts (3.60 m and 4.0 m) overlooking the Via Sorgente (upstream) and (downstream), and a long elevation (6.50 m), which overlooks a small outdoor area, partially paved and equipped with a stone bench, in front of the building grows an olive tree (Olea europaea L.).

The main façade had only the openings of two doors and a small low window to illuminate and ventilate the basement level. The original building had two levels, not connected between them. The upper floor was used as a wood storage while the lower floor as a warehouse and rabbit hutch. The roof was in poor condition and there were interruptions in the wall surface without any infill.

The project involves the construction of a small apartment, habitable on two floors, through the replacement of the existing roof, the opening of a new window on the main elevation, the construction of a staircase to connect the two levels of the building, the construction of a new wooden attic and a small mezzanine.

The interior space is very small: 2.45 m x 5.70 m (14 mq) in size. The lower floor is equipped with a bathroom and a foldaway double bed, upstairs there is a small kitchen and a folding table. All the furniture was designed specifically for this space with the aim of maximizing storage space.

The rustic appearance of the existing external walls has been maintained, the infill walls between the wall and the roof are made with reused bricks and the architrave of the new window is made with an ancient brushed chestnut wood trunk. The floor beams and the entrance door have been restored and maintained.

The building is thermally insulated inside. The natural lighting of the upper floor is guaranteed by the new window and by a large “high” window, placed on the west side, under the roof pitch, where there was already a lowering of the perimeter wall, all the window frames are in oak wood. The sleeping area is located on the lower floor, in front of the bathroom there is the space for the folding double bed; the space under the stairs was used to place a wardrobe and install a small boiler for hot water. The room lighting is ensured by a new window replacing the existing door.