This beautiful country house is situated in the foothills of the Val Tidone, in the Piacentine countryside of Italy. Designed by Park Associati architects, the home was conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the traditional ‘cascina’ and barns typical of the area, which is reflected in the materials and proportions, presenting itself as a modern design, free from nostalgic elements. The building has been designed with sustainability in mind: from its orientation that enables winter sun to be optimized while minimizing exposure during the hotter months, to the construction materials that have been specified for their high levels of insulation.

The house is developed around a central covered courtyard that forms the heart of the ground floor living area and offers unusual views from the bedrooms at first floor. The ground floor spaces have been designed to be continuous with the external areas for access during warmer weather to the courtyard and decked area from the living room. The ground floor consists of a cloakroom and storage area and two large rooms that are visually connected via large sliding glazed doors: the kitchen and dining area that are conceived as a single space and the living room; these areas have been designed as a series of spaces that lead from one to the other and on to the outside, through the courtyard and out to the timber-decked terrace.

At first floor there are four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The floors are covered in planks of iroko wood and local stone laid in an irregular pattern. The brick of the external elevations continues inside to become one of the interior finishing materials, along with plaster and a large, stone wall with a fireplace and alcove for firewood in sheet metal in the living area.