gabion cages filled with local stones support villa beusi's verdant terraces in italy

‘villa beusi’ by italian architecture studio calvi ceschia viganò is a single-family home that nestles within a verdant stepped terrain in the coastal town of sanremo. surrounded by olive trees, the residence rests on a degraded agricultural land that has been restored and transformed through multi-level terraces and retaining walls that combine concrete and stone-filled metal gabion cages. the building itself occupies the upper zone of the site, and features floor-to-ceiling openings that offer scenic views of the mediterranean sea in front.all images by aldo amoretti

calvi ceschia viganò has set ‘villa beusi’ on an agricultural land which looked like a large concrete platform with abandoned asbestos warehouses that stood in a disorderly way. the italian architecture studio redeveloped the site to reconnect it to its surrounding natural environment, demolishing the existing, dilapidated buildings, and carrying out the necessary remediation of the land. the spaces and uses of the new building and the surrounding open areas are determined by the existing landscape, which has been enriched by new the planting of new trees, an orchard and a herb garden.

the new, multi-level terraces mitigate the changes in altitude and are supported by concrete walls and gabion cages filled with stones found on site. climbing vines are planted to cover the reinforced-concrete walls, while an ornamental garden and grassy pebbles are found closer to the house. placed on the upper part of the terrain, the house takes its cues from the area’s vernacular architecture, and develops through an alternation of volumes that become thinner and wider in the search for balanced relationships with the landscape. its construction combines wood and concrete, and moves back from the roof to make way for covered mediation spaces.

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project info:

name: villa beusi

architect: calvi ceschia viganò

location: sanremo, italy

year: 2018 – 2021

floor area: 250 sqm