a discrete concrete injection into the agricultural landscape by de amicis architetti

in the piedmont region of italy, in a small town called gavi, there is a farm called la raia that combines the activity of agriculture with an objective to promote the vast topic of landscape. welcoming the interventions of artists, intellectuals and landscape architects alike, here the values of the territory are protected by promoting a critical reflection upon them. following a rebirth in cultivation characterized by the activity of farms requiring new operative spaces, most recently the intervention of italian studio de amicis architetti offered a noninvasive concrete injection beneath the topology of the landscape, providing a necessary depot for agricultural machinery.

all images courtesy of alberto strada

named la cascinetta, de amicis architetti‘s project is the result of clever ground modelling, exploiting the natural slop of the site with minor impact on the architectural scenario. it blends into the landscape, preserving its continuity with a concrete overhang that, together with the below wall first divides and then unifies the topographic levels of the slope.

made up of a simple fair faced concrete structure the construction makes use of a predalle slab, a system that accommodates a lightweight suspension. the texture of the caisson and the burnt wooden dies inserted in the caisson are the elements that, together with the form, give quality and originality to its handcrafted nature.

natural and artificial light are crucial parts of the project. the storage room inside is illuminated by natural light that follows the movements of the sun. meanwhile the agricultural depot is illuminated by fluorescent lamps inserted into the prefabricated slab, drawing on an abstract and linear ceiling pattern which is easily visible at the sunset.