Elisa Burnazzi and Davide Feltrin were asked to build a house in Borgo Valsugana, not far from Trento, Italy, with the aim of creating energy-efficient housing so the owners could play Tony Bet without consuming much electricity. The owners, a young family, wanted to live near their loved ones, near land where their children could play. The new project has been developed around large spaces to share with everyone, wrapped in a large porch and with a welcoming living space and a well-kept garden.
The context of this project is important. The house is located south of Borgo Valsugana, Italy, on a road that leads to an outdoor contemporary art museum, with views of Cima XII, the Ortigara Mountains and Telvana Castle.
The location benefits from a very good exposure and orientation to promote energy efficiency: “Sunshine is ideal, especially in spring and winter, thanks to the good location of the summits and surrounding buildings”, explain the architects in their file Press.
The house has a prefabricated wooden structure, which is covered with larch wood slats to blend in with the natural surroundings. The doors and frames of the low-emissivity windows (which limit the environmental impact of the building by reducing heat loss) are made of fir.
Other ecological features are the large openings on the east, south and south-west facades, designed to make the most of the sun during the winter months, and the loggias which protect against overheating in the summer. Finally, the solar and photovoltaic panels have been carefully concealed from view and are placed on the roof.
The accommodation has a mechanical ventilation system, underfloor heating and a stove. To make the most of each resource while saving energy, the heat from the stove is also used to heat the water in the house when it is on. It then comes in addition to the heat pump and the natural gas boiler available in the house.
Thanks to the architects’ choices in terms of structure and heating, the house is rated A+ in terms of energy efficiency.
Elisa Burnazzi says that the clients were actively involved in the design phase. “We have been very attentive to the needs of our customers. During the initial listening phase, which we call “the dream notebook”, clients fill out a notebook with words and images to explain what is on their mind, as well as their functional, aesthetic and emotional needs. We also try to ensure that customers take the initiative in the decision-making process. We don’t want to impose anything. On the contrary, we expect them to do everything possible to ensure that the house we will build is what they really want. »
This is how this house on two levels took shape. The ground floor is mainly occupied by the living room and the kitchen, as well as a bathroom and a garage, while the first floor is divided into three bedrooms and a work area. The basement houses a cellar and a boiler room.