Villa A Pietralba

Location: Pietralba (2B)

Program: Design of a village house

General contractor: Private

Project management: Buzzo Spinelli Architecture; ISB, BET - structural engineers; SMI, BET - mechanical engineers

Cost: -

Areas: NET: 140 m²

Schedule: 2014-2016

Photography by: Serge Demailly

The project is developed in Pietralba, the « stone of dawn » village of Haute-Corse.

A succession of dry stonewalls mould the hills creating a characteristic shape of Tenda mountains.

Hugging the contours of the land, the project maintains in turn the topography, and sits on those stonewalls.

The architecture of the house works with the same respect for the site and anchors itself to it through a specific casing made of granite structural double wall where concrete is poured.

The access is on the upper part of the site and naturally progresses downwards following the three existing plateaux. Like a “pagliaghji”, the tuff roofing echoes the vernacular constructions of the surroundings.

The villa itself is voluntarily introverted developing areas around patios bringing light to the heart of the house. The living room in this case is central, and the bedrooms gravitate around it as independent habitable units with a courtyard each.

The skylights impart a ceremonial atmosphere to the project, reflecting once again Pietralba’s soul.