Studio Wok is the creator behind this beautiful country home. Rebuilding a barn demands clever use of new materials in combination with the well-preserved parts of the existing building. This home is right in between history and modern functionality.
Redesigning and rebuilding a barn
The 250 m² new country home is built into a section of the barn of an agricultural court at the gates of Verona, Italy. The theme of the project is to create a spatial and material dialogue between history and modernity. In addition, the design team has taken great care in terms of environmental sustainability and reused materials while preserving the unique surrounding environment.
On the front of the house towards the garden, a large arch has been reopened as a reminder of the site’s historical agricultural function. A large rear door frames the masonry arch, and the front facing the courtyard is characterized by a glass facade with wooden uprights. The design is made to recall – in a contemporary way – the wooden walls typical of barns found in local rural courts.
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The materials of the facades are traditional and typical of rural architecture around Verona – one of them is the river pebbles grafted on modern frames.
Design features of the house
The house is set out across three floors and all levels engage with the space at the full height of the living room. The ground floor, distinguished by a Vicenza stone pavement, welcomes guests into a large living area and a library with a brick fireplace. The upper floors, perceived as a wooden volume hanging from the ceiling, contain the bedrooms.
The birch plywood cladding defines the interior space and marks a clear distinction between the different sections of the home.
The magnolia tree
The design team has put special attention to the surrounding territory and landscape of this unique property and included a redesign of the garden in the project. The focal element of the garden and the house is an amazing magnolia tree which is preserved upon the clients’ request.
The tree is a contrast to the stone flooring on which the pool is set but is still very much connected to the house as it’s shadow is projected on the stone facade at sunset making it visible from all rooms.
