The city of Terlizzi, located in southern Italy, in the region of Puglia, is well known as “the city of flowers” due to the widespread presence of companies that grow flowers and plants exported throughout the nation.
Studio Name: studioIDEAM
Design Team: arch. Francesco Marzulli
Area: Italy – Puglia Region
Year: 2014-2015
Location: Province of Bari, Town of Terlizzi
Consultants:
Photography Credits: arch. Francesco Marzulli
For example, many of the floral arrangements made in Piazza San Pietro in Rome for some official Vatican events and celebrations come from this area.
This house was designed for a local flower grower and stands among the greenhouses of his company.
The customer’s request was to create a building divided into two houses for two families, one for the client and one for his son.
The reinforced concrete supporting structure had already been built and the client needed to complete the building.
The existing project was old-fashioned, without any aesthetic and architectural quality.
The aim of the project, therefore, was to modify part of the built structure in order to create a more rational space subdivision and a more modern, technological, sustainable and aesthetically valid architectural project.
The building consists of 3 levels: the first and the second house the apartments of the two families, while the third consists of the attic divided into storage rooms and technical rooms.
In the corner of the building a stairwell connects the three floors above ground to the basement floor used as a garage and thermal power plant.
The flights of stairs were made of reinforced concrete shaped through customized carpentry made by expert craftsmen.
Large space was given to the use of materials designed for industrial applications such as perforated sheets, metal profiles, steel and glass elements, etc… usually used for the construction of industrial sheds and workshops.
This type of materials were used to give the building a contemporary character with a high aesthetic impact.
For this purpose the collaboration with artisan metalworking companies was fundamental in order to combine and transform industrial elements into customized and unique applications.
In this project we wanted to blend industrial and contemporary aesthetics with the traditional construction techniques and the Mediterranean characteristics typical of the area.
For this reason, was made an extensive use of local stone worked with different processes.
In particular, polished limestone floors were created for the stairs and verandas, while some walls were covered with rough stone blocks obtained from the recycling of waste slabs produced in local quarries due to the cutting of rough limestone blocks.
Much importance has been given to the energy performance of the building and its systems.
The external walls are equipped with thermal insulation with a ventilated facade system.
The heating system is characterized by a biomass generator that can also use the organic waste produced in the company where the house is located.
The production of hot water is supported by a solar thermal system connected to the biomass heat generator located in the basement.
The roof is thermally insulated with a ventilated roof system, and houses a photovoltaic system for the production of electricity.
The windows are made with thermal break aluminum profiles with low-emissivity glass to obtain adequate thermal insulation.
The built building represents an example of quality architecture, a pleasant combination of modernity, tradition and uniqueness, able to go beyond the trends and fashions that follow one another over time, resulting still modern and contemporary today.