A year in Sicily in a one euro house

The choice of the structure

The house identified by Airbnb is, in all, a hymn to the territory: a few steps from the Belvedere of Sambuca of Sicily, it is a traditional house that is quick to entice you to leave. To renovate it, the Palermo studio Didea, chosen thanks to the ability to communicate with the territory.

The team worked in full compliance with the starting complex: "The traditional materials present on site were combined with components that highlight our work without ever upsetting the existing elements. The construction system is the traditional Sicilian one, with masonry structures made of tuff and foundations dug on the rock bank that previously housed a castle. This was deliberately left in evidence on the basement of the building and is visible from the master bedroom".

A 'hybrid' house halfway between hospitality and privacy

The house will be completely managed by the host selected through the Airbnb competition, who will have the opportunity - between smart working and typical rural life - to experience the hospitality experience for a year. The same house will therefore be used for two different ways of living: "We have created rooms and multifunctional spaces: a study that becomes a guest bedroom, a guest bedroom that becomes a laundry room, a staircase with a bathroom, a small but complete kitchen. In this way the spaces are easily usable both for those who stay for a few days and for those who will live in the house for longer periods” says Studio Didea.

'Sicilianity' between materiality and natural light

The "1 euro houses" project was conceived by the Municipality of Sambuca di Sicilia, to bring the authenticity of the area back to light. A common intent in the Airbnb competition, which with the Didea studio wanted to focus on two salient aspects, natural light and the material typical of the area: "We worked with elements typical of Sicilian architecture such as the cementine flooring, recovered and reused for bathrooms and living rooms on the first floor. For the finishes, with cocciopesto and raw earth (inheritance of the Phoenician domination in Sicily). But also with the typical perlatino marble extracted from the quarries of Custonaci, still today, together with the Billiemi marble, one of the most used stones both in the public and in the private sector.

Natural light was another starting point: we wanted it to continue to permeate all spaces. This is why we have thought of solutions such as interior doors in wood and glass, or the use of perforated sheet metal".