A modern and contemporary interpretation of the classic Venetian villa, the house designed by the Friuli-based studio Furlan & Pierini Architetti has been built near the old city center of Sacile, in the province of Pordenone. The building is located in a large portion of 3400 square meters of parkland overlooking a street lined with many villas from the late 1800s and early 1900s. City and countryside become integral parts of the project, stimulated by the interpretation of the place.

Casa D represents an evolution of the traditional villa, but its rigorous layout on three floors, based on the square of the ground-floor living area and then divided into nine smaller squares, reveals a compositional approach of absolutely contemporary geometry. Seven modules are closed and two are open to accommodate a small courtyard and a loggia placed at the southwest corner.

The central square contains the staircase, a large space lit from that is the organizational pivot. On the first floor bedrooms and bathrooms are organized around the staircase in mirror symmetry. The villa is entirely clad in Istrian stone with a sandblasted finish. When seen from the outside it has a compact, hermetic geometry, while inside the space is open and domestic, offering multiple views of the park.

The austere outer geometry that is the armor of the house contrasts with the domestic comfort of the interiors, opening on all sides to the outside landscape. Arch. Pierini explains: “The spaces establish a relationship with each other and with the park, through the double heights, the large internal openings that give rhythm to the rooms, the large sliding doors and the openings for the porticoes.

Especially on the first floor, the depth of the wall at the openings creates a telescope effect and emphasizes the character of the openings to the landscape that surrounds the house. The relationship with the natural landscape is emphasized by the use of Corten steel for the construction of external doors and windows, the panels of the garage and the new entrance. The color of Corten has affinities with nature and forms a contrast with the whiteness of the stone.”

The extra-large sliding windows of the ground and first floors, like all the extra-small hinged windows of the bathrooms and corridors, have been made with EBE 65 Corten thermal break sections by Secco Sistemi. The slimness of the uprights abolishes the boundaries between inside and outside, letting the light and the surrounding landscape enter while ensuring maximum home comfort and energy savings.