MARC: house in mathi

‘house in mathi’ by MARC, mathi, turin, italy image © beppi giardino all images courtesy of MARC

italian practice MARC has recently completed the ‘house in mathi’, a transformation of dilapidated barns into a residence and studio in mathi, near the city of turn, italy. fused into its site, a shallow excavation into the earth which traverses from the adjacent gardens into the interior living spaces. highlighted with a bold yellow, the trench crosses from the front and back yards through the recessed ground level of the home, visually linking the entire length with color. the exaggerated step doubles as seating for a dining area and elevated path. perimeter walls may be opened, blurring the boundary between the outdoors and conditioned areas and inhabitants sit on the floor at the table.

on the first level, a suspended volume contains a swimming pool offering ideal positioning for sun exposure. enclosed with glass, the rooms surrounding the entity may engage with the dynamic area. the work areas of the inhabitants are contained within the brick building next door directly connecting to the dwelling. a bed and breakfast will be added in the future, creating a small village over time.

aerial view of garden and pool image © beppi giardino

garden and dining area fuse into one space image © beppi giardino

ground level dining area image © beppi giardino

stairs to the upper level image © beppi giardino

upper level dining area image © beppi giardino

pool area floats within a void image © beppi giardino

connection detail image © beppi giardino

pool terrace image © beppi giardino

entrance from the garden image © beppi giardino

lawn enters the home becoming a seat within the dining room image © beppi giardino

rear facade image © beppi giardino

existing barns

interior of barns before undertaking

site plan / step 1

site plan / step 2

site plan / step 3

site plan / step 4

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

section

sketch

project info:

project by: MARC designers: subhash mukerjee, michele bonino collaborators: lucia baima, mi-jung kim, tommaso rocca partners for engineering: fred (structural engineer: riccardo sampietro; hvac engineer: daniele forte; accounting and security: filippo rizzo)

program: existing house: 95 sqm extension: 260 sqm garden: 270 sqm office: 85 sqm terraces + swimming pool: 39 sqm bed & breakfast (under construction): 190 sqm schedule: first and second phases: 2008-2012; third phase: ongoing client: private photographer: beppe giardino