Material as concept

In the vineyards of Sassella, Alfredo Vanotti’s residence reinterprets the Alpine context through a shift from matter to idea. Rather than following a Platonic abstraction, the design begins with local elements—granite bedrock, vineyard geometry, and the clustered solids and voids of Castione village—and distills them into a refined architectural language. The project becomes a synthesis where landform and built form merge through measured geometry.

Platform and enclosure

The house is anchored on a steep slope by a projecting platform that both embraces and cuts into the terrain. A basin and a sequence of green squares define a courtyard space, protected by retaining walls that frame and contain the living volumes. This tectonic strategy—part embedded, part hovering—allows the architecture to extend into the landscape while maintaining a sense of intimacy and order.

Timber, glass, and layered views

A rhythm of vertical larch slats establishes a warm, tactile texture across façades and courtyard walls. In contrast, expansive south-facing windows and glazed parapets introduce transparency and reflection, creating a layered interplay between built and natural elements. These juxtapositions allow the architecture to oscillate between opacity and openness, material weight and visual lightness.

Framing the valley and its memory

Strategic cutouts and voids punctuate the masonry shell, inviting light and landscape inward. These incisions align with key visual references—the bell tower, barns, and mountain peaks—embedding the house within its cultural and geographical setting. Through sharp material transitions and subtle chromatic contrasts, the house acts as a contemporary echo of its environment, translating the Valtellina’s textures and forms into lived space.

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