‘redevelopment of a barn’ by armando ruinelli, soglio, switzerland all images courtesy of armando ruinelli

swiss architect armando ruinelli has recently completed ‘redevelopment of a barn’, the transformation of an unused farm into a single family residence in soglio, switzerland. along a pedestrian route leading from the historical center, the dwelling merges the traditional structure with a contemporary aesthetic, maintaining its place within the village’s context. the three storeys are set into the steep slope, placing an entrance at ground level with access to outdoor areas overlooking the alps from each floor. the first floor contains an open plan kitchen, living area and study which are arranged around a concrete stair and fireplace unit. within the upper level loggia, inhabitants may see the rough hewn logs are stacked to form the enclosure and original roof.

smooth concrete inserts within the stone and wood facade frame the openings of the entry floor. large voids within the facade are screened with vertical oak axes which may be manually operated to block direct daylight or manipulate breezes through the interior. the wood was locally sourced and processed together to ensure the same color and eventual patina since the intention was to define the architecture with the material palette. research was conducted with experimental models at 1:1 scale, demonstrating careful attention to the craftsmanship of details to merge old and new materials.

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 2 view of east facade from the pedestrian route

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 3 detail of manually moveable oak screen on the west elevation

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 4 ground level entrance

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 5 living room

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 6 kitchen + living room

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 7 loggia

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 8 smooth interior concrete wall meets the rustic exterior stone wall

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 9 bedroom with bathroom beyond

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 10 bathroom

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 11 second bedroom

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 12 site plan

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 13 floor plan / level 0 1. bedroom 2. entrance 3. laundry 4. technical room 5. courtyard

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 14 floor plan / level 1 1. terrace 2. kitchen 3. dining 4. living 5. office

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 15 floor plan / level 2 1. bedroom 2. loggia

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 16 section

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 17 section

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 18 elevation

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 19 elevation

armando ruinelli: redevelopment of a barn, soglio - 20 detailed section1. oak worktop 2. unfinished oak flooring, 30mm 3. pine beam 120 x 160mm, mineral wool insulation 4. wood shimming 5. oak planking, 20mm 6. lpe steel profile, 20mm x 100mm 7. oak drawers 8. layer of noise reduction felt 9. levelling planking, 15mm 10. double lpe steel profile, 200 x 100 mm 11. steel frame 12. window of thermal- break steel profiles 13. tamped faifaced concrete 14. serpentines for heating 15. mineral wool insulation 16. structural concrete

project info:

location: soglio, switzerland architect: armando ruinelli architect fas collaborators: fernando giovanoli (architetto associato), fabio rabbiosi client: private project time: 2007-2009 site area: 290 m2 built-on area: 110 m2 total volume: 1300 m3