GEZA shapes an alpine holiday home to the contours of italian mountains

located in tarvisio – a northeastern region of italy – ‘Z house’ has been designed by GEZA to form a close relationship with the surrounding mountainous landscape. as opposed to creating a flat site for the intervention, the holiday home has been built to ‘slip’ into the contours of the land. characterized by light-filled interiors, timber-clad façades and steeply pitched gable roofs, the resulting architecture perfectly befits the alpine scenery.

all images © gianni antoniali

situated on a steep slope, the journey to the entrance of the house has been designed by GEZA with special consideration. as a key aspect of the project, the journey to the building is celebrated. viewed from afar at first, the building stands boldly in the landscape, then, upon getting closer, the mass begins to fit with the contours of the land and the scale reduces, until only a small and solitary monopiano volume can be seen, framed only by the landscape.

the program of the house is neatly divided into two volumes with regard to the differing functions. at entrance level, a large living area fills a double-height space, with large elements of glazing framing the incredible views of the outdoors. from this space, the master bedroom is located on an upper floor to overlook the living area, while the other bedrooms, the sauna and wellness area are located on the lower floor.

the primary structure of the ‘Z house’ is made from concrete, with it shown exposed on the floors and ceilings. the ‘skin’ is clad in vertical timber slats, characterizing the external aesthetic and creating an interesting play of light in between the wooden elements. this timber material is also continued into the some of the interior, creating a relationship between the indoor and outdoor architectural expression and bringing warmth to the spaces.

project info:

project name: ‘Z house’

client: private

location: tarvisio, udine, italy

architect: GEZA – gri e zucchi architetti associati (arch. stefano gri, arch. piero zucchi with arch. stefania anzil)

team: arch. tina carletti, arch. elisa mansutti, arch. marjana dedaj

structural design: eng. alessandro d’agostino – adastudio, tolmezzo, italy

mechanical plants design: HT engineering, udine, italy

electrical plants design: studio battista

supervision of works: eng. alessandro d’agostino – adastudio, tolmezzo, italy

contractor: impresa edile pellegrini & c

mechanical plants: astel srl

electrical plants: elettronica manzanese

carpentry works: malisan franco & c s.n.c.

furnitures and boiseries: floreani snc

design phase: 2014

construction: 2016

area of intervention: 933 m2

area: 195 m2

volume: 875 m3

photography: gianni antoniali