Isay Weinfeld

The Italia House was designed for a couple who love to host their children, grandchildren, and friends for long gatherings on weekends. Thus, it was their desire for the house to have multiple social spaces that were always open to the garden.

By placing the house at the front of the lot, next to the street, we were able to leave the maximum area free at the back, allowing for a swimming pool surrounded by a lawn and dense vegetation.

The main body of the house, with two levels above ground, concentrates vertical circulation in the core of the building, while living rooms and terraces unfold around it, defining a cut-out perimeter. Fully glazed, with sliding doors that open wide openings, these spaces integrate seamlessly with the garden. A small opaque and autonomous volume, housing a restroom and a game room, disrupts the orthogonality of the plan by combining two curves and an angled wall in its shape. Located near the entrance, it also acts as a buffer that protects the living areas by narrowing the passage between the hall and the living/dining rooms. 

The slab between the two floors, square in proportion, extends beyond the projections of the floors—on the ground floor, these extensions appear as wide eaves, while on the upper floor they serve as garden beds, allowing the rooms on the first level to also enjoy proximity to greenery. In contrast to the lower floor, the upper level features numerous blind planes that define each space. Gables and roof slabs of varying heights, thicknesses, and projections create an interesting dynamism at the crown of the building.

The basement of the house houses a garage, technical and service areas, and connects via a gently sloping staircase to the gym, located beneath the pool and open to the garden at the back of the lot.