Casa ACO is a restoration and extension project involving two traditional rural buildings, comprising lamie (vaulted stone structures) and trulli, nestled in the Apulian countryside of the Itria Valley.
The design revolves around the construction of two parallel walls made of local stone, which topographically define the site. The wall adjacent to the access road establishes the height datum for the various building volumes, while the second wall sets the ground levels.
Near the site entrance, a small building consisting of two vaulted rooms has been transformed into a guest annex. The other rural structures have been has been restored and expanded and converted into residential units.
The insertion of a new volume with a contemporary architectural language dialogues with the existing structures through both contrast and continuity in material, color, and geometry. The compact scale and rigid layout of the restored historic spaces are counterbalanced by the flexibility of the open-plan layout that defines the new extension.
Large new openings overlook the gardens, allowing the original architectural components to remain visible even from the outside. A roof slot, serving as a skylight, highlights the interlocking of old and new, revealing how the external wall of a trullo has been enclosed within the new volume. Consequently, this new space assumes a dual identity: a domestic interior relative to the surrounding landscape, yet an external element relative to the historic structure.
A visual axis, established by aligned openings, traverses the entire residence in a promenade that leads from the garden into the living area, continuing toward the contemplative spaces beneath the conical roofs of the trullos. Rising above the height limit established by the project, these two cones playfully challenge the design’s composition rules, punctuating the horizontal line drawn by the new architecture.
Contrasting with the rational forms and white lime wash of the buildings, the landscape design adopts organic shapes and a richer palette of colors. Interstitial spaces between the volumes form pockets for bespoke interventions. Retaining walls define a canvas where greenery and pathways weave together and connect the various parts of the complex, including the pool area.
Located at the opposite corner from the entrance, the pool forms the terminus of a pathway that weaves through lawn beds, exposed natural rock, and stone aggregate. This journey guides visitors from a traditional, timeless atmosphere toward a gradual discovery of the contemporary.
