atelier LAVIT inserts eco-hotel into vineyards and woodlands of rural italy

the cabins are raised off the ground, responding to the sloping topography.

christina petridou February 22, 2023 4 min

atelier LAVIT designs eco-cabins in rural italy

Perched among a verdant scenery of vineyards and woodlands in the heart of Piedmont, Italy, LILELO (Little Leisure Lodges) introduces a cluster of four autonomous wooden cabins. Designed by Paris-based architecture practice atelier LAVIT, the resulting design is informed by the image of traditional haystacks, presenting a triangular silhouette standing on a thick trunk-like base.

The architects embraced a sustainable approach focusing on energy efficiency and eco-compatible materiality. Thus, the cabins are raised off the ground minimizing the impact on the terrain and, at the same time, responding to the sloping topography. With this tactful gesture, the eco-hotel melds faultlessly with its natural setting, blurring the lines between the man-made and natural environment.

atelier LAVIT inserts eco wooden cabins into vineyards and woodlands of rural italy — all images by Silvia Lavit/ Daniel Mazza

sustainable lodges harmonized with nature

The team at Atelier LAVIT sought to promote a more sustainable living environment where architecture and nature perfectly collaborate. The three structures serve as private suites, while the fourth houses the common spaces, including a generous terrace and a spacious kitchen with a large table. This structure acts as a gathering area where guests can sit together, fostering social interaction and communication.

The interior of the three suites unfolds as an open-plan layout, featuring a breakfast nook with stunning panoramas of the picturesque location. Adjacent is a deck that leads to the sleeping area, and the bathroom is tucked on the back side of the scheme. The only door in the lodge is placed for the restroom, while the rest is characterized by continuity without however compromising privacy.

The design team sought to interweave LILELO’s interior and exterior spaces with a generous amount of glazing. Thin large openings fit seamlessly into the wooden structure and generate well-lit living spaces immersed in the site’s rich vegetation. The vast openings, therefore, encourage a harmonious, almost symbiotic relationship between in and out, which is the project’s main purpose. The design team ‘took up the challenge of using prefabricated elements but without resorting to standardization’. This is reflected in the roof, which employs an A-shape with two fully glazed triangular elevations, that double as walls and load-bearing structures.

‘The lodges weren’t designed as closed volumes from which the openings were subtracted but as a space created by three inclined surfaces, following the Japanese logic of working on layers.’ Spanning six meters in width and nine meters in length, with a ceiling height of almost six meters, the small houses are constructed of larch treated only with oil — a natural element absorbed into the wood, enriching and nourishing it as it ages. The furnishings, wall, and floor finishes are also made of wood to create a visual continuation showcasing a similar character to the exterior. The cabins, therefore, merge seamlessly with their natural setting, almost as if ‘they are camouflaged’.