marco castelletti: lake como house

‘casa a morchiuso’ by marco castelletti, erba, italy image © filippo simonetti – brunate all images courtesy of marco castelletti

perched within the hills of erba, italy, the residence ‘casa a morchiuso’ designed by italian practice marco castelletti is perched to overlook lake como in the distance. a revitalization to an existing home constructed in the 1970s, the new structure has replaced the original pitched roof with a flat plane and the exterior is further streamlined by wrapping the perimeter with a wooden screen. the delicate rectilinear grillwork protects semi-outdoor veranda spaces on the ground and first levels from direct sunlight while introducing breezes. positioned on the inside of the facade of horizontal louvers, outdoor rooms are maintained to create transitional zones to buffer the enclosed interior areas, allowing the overall form to read as a unified volume.

vehicular approach to the residence image © filippo simonetti – brunate

walls surfaced with a black tone create contrast with the external lattice while the white walls encompass the recessed balconies and terraces. on the upper level, a bath-style pool with full height enclosure on all sides offers privacy from neighbors while a retractable glass roof allows an open air experience. the rooftop features a solarium with panoramic views of the garden and lake as well as a solar photovoltaic system for energy generation.

side elevation image © filippo simonetti – brunate

wooden grill encompasses the exterior walls of the dwelling image © filippo simonetti – brunate

veranda is shaded with the delicate wooden louvers image © filippo simonetti – brunate

view from the terrace image © filippo simonetti – brunate

rooftop terrace with void overlooking the internal pool area image © filippo simonetti – brunate

upper level pool enclosed with full height walls for privacy form neighbors image © filippo simonetti – brunate

retractable glass roof closed over the pool area image © filippo simonetti – brunate

retractable glass roof in the open position image © filippo simonetti – brunate

floor plan / level 0 1. kitchen 2. living room 3. master bedroom 4. single bedroom 5. bathroom 6. wardrobe 7. study 8. pool 9. service room 10. terrace

floor plan / level 1 4. single bedroom 5. bathroom 7. study 8. pool 9. service room 10. terrace

original floor plan / level 0 floor plan / level 0 1. kitchen 2. living room 3. master bedroom 4. single bedroom 5. bathroom

original roof plan