clustered boxes form ELASTICOfarm's 'the hole with the house around'

The Hole with the House Around: a radical home in turin

Stefano Pujatti, founder of architecture and design firm ELASTICOFarm, playfully names this newly completed dwelling ‘The Hole with the House Around.’ The project can be found in Cambiano, a town in the Northern Italian province of Turin, and exemplifies the architect’s radical and experimental design approach. Elevated atop an array of stilts to cluster around a central leafy void, the rooms of the corrugated steel home evoke a treetop canopy.

‘The project originated from the renovation of a residential building from the 1970s,’ the team explains. ‘The volumes that make up the house rise above the original building, partially leaning on it.’

images © Anna Positano, Gaia Cambiaggi | Studio Campo

elasticofarm disassembles the conventional box

More than just a renovation, ELASTICOFarm’s ‘The Hole with the House Around’ boldly lifts from the earth and relies on the existing structure to lean on. Stefano Pujatti’s design breaks free from conventional norms as the architectural box transforms into a ring of intersecting parts. This radical move reveals an unexpected connection with the surrounding landscape, as trees grow through the central void and into the center of the home.

Led by Pujatti, the architects embrace the theme of engaging with existing structures as an opportunity to reflect on the potential of post-war built heritage. Rather than expanding the original 1970s villa, an entirely new, independent building coexists on the same plot of land. By demolishing the existing roof, a terrace for the new residential unit emerges, facing the Alpine range with sweeping views.

the part-to-whole house

With ‘The Hole with the House Around,’ ELASTICOFarm transcends conventional notions of dwelling by lifting itself to the height of tree canopies. The architecture takes shape as an assemblage of volumes surrounding the central courtyard, allowing the sky to permeate its core. Interconnected by a continuous pathway enveloping the courtyard, the rooms and internal functions evoke a sense of separation from the ground. Prefabricated in galvanized steel and primarily supported by tall forked metal pillars, the structure exudes both elegance and efficiency. Dry construction methods, including polyurethane spray insulation, contribute to the building’s impressive energy efficiency.

prefabricated in galvanized steel, the structure is supported mainly by forked metal pillars

Accessed directly from the park, the house presents a gradual journey through the surrounding trees. The suspended, open metal staircase leads to a constantly shifting landscape, culminating at the residence level. The architecture melds with the surrounding vegetation, even transforming the interior space.

As one enters, the courtyard opens into view with its lush greenery and soaring birch trees. The living area expands into the dining room, connected to a terrace providing access to the rooftop garden on the original building’s roof. The kitchen, strategically positioned in the northeast corner, allows the owner, a chef, to oversee the entire house, terrace, and rooftop garden. A pathway winding counterclockwise around the courtyard leads to the service areas and sleeping quarters, eventually reconnecting with the entrance area.

a terrace provides access to the rooftop garden on the original building’s roof the home is accessed via a suspended, open metal staircase