VCS House is a newly built single-family residence in the countryside of Ragusa, situated on a site of high landscape value. The lot features a gentle slope that abruptly drops into a steep, rocky escarpment.
The project is about the reinterpretation of a traditional local construction technique. Throughout the countryside of the Ragusa province, it is common to find rural huts with roofs supported by metal frameworks. Some of these are informal, self-built structures, while others were carefully planned.
Many of these temporary shelters became permanent fixtures over time, remaining long after agricultural activities ceased. During the 1950s and 1960s, builders utilized readily available local materials, relying primarily on iron truss systems to support sheet-metal roofing.
CASA VCS revisits this architectural archetype, now outdated by cultural and technological evolution, to celebrate its symbolic value, which remains deeply rooted in the collective memory of the region.
Through research into steel profiles from the 1950s and 1960s and their assembly methods, the traditional truss was re-engineered to seamlessly integrate with CASA VCS’s state of the art structural systems.
A reinforced concrete retaining wall stabilizes the slope and accentuates the ridge, where the house appears to float over the canyon.
The building is conceptually articulated into three distinct volumes:
- the steel columns: elevate the house to the ridge level without disrupting the natural contours of the terrain;
- the living area: designed as a sleek, minimalist volume;
- the sloping roof: a sheet-metal canopy supported by large structural trusses, which hosts the photovoltaic array.
The main entrance is via a walkway made of orsogril that extends to the opposite side, offering a view of the valley that gives the sensation of floating in the void. The interior flooring is made of industrial concrete, while the exterior is made of washed stone.
Sustainable building
Respect for the site extends beyond carefully considered architectural composition to include passive and active design strategies for maximum sustainability:
- optimal orientation: the building’s long facades face north and south, ensuring optimal passive heat gain in winter and natural shade in summer;
- building envelope control: precision-engineered openings, shaded overhangs, dry-wall construction, and high-performance glazed joinery allow for strict control over solar heat gain and loss;
- energy independence: particular attention has been paid to renewable energy sources thanks to the integration of a photovoltaic system on the roof.
All these features enable the house to achieve NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) certification.
