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It is famous for its durum wheat semolina bread, PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) lentils, archaeological sites and the splendid Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. For its revolutionary past it has earned the nickname of "lioness of Apulia": Altamura, a small town a few kilometers from Bari, is a center of extraordinary historical and tourist interest, which in recent years has been experiencing a cultural and productive growth, also made of innovation and “green” redevelopment. A change in the very concept of living and building, and in the relationship between architecture and nature.
It is here that Silvia and Domenico have decided to build their house, in a residential area not far from the city center. The house, designed by the engineer and architect Chiara Dipalo, immediately strikes for its brave attitude to change, despite the use of local and traditional materials: the wooden house, in fact, outside is clad in Trani stone, also used for stairs and outdoor flooring. The volumes of the building look like if they were sculpted in the light reflected by the walls, which take on different shades of color throughout the day. Exteriors with a contemporary, almost futuristic style, which match incredibly well with the heart of the house, its wooden structure: the geometric asymmetrical design recall the irregularity and dynamism of natural environments, in a courageous path that redefines the relationship between regional culture and innovation.
The interior spaces follow an idea of freedom: large, generous environments, designed to be lived in by the whole family at any time of day, with refined and linear design elements, and wood, a discreet but fundamental protagonist, visible in the floors parquet. Is it possible to innovate by staying with your feet firmly in your roots, without giving up either local elements or the most refined sustainable technology? This house proves it. Surrounded by about 1300 meters of garden, with essences and shrub species of the Murgian area, such as cork oak, pomegranate, strawberry tree, as well as lavender and rosemary and some small fruit trees, the house is energetically independent, thanks to the hybrid panels on the roof, and a geothermal probe, 150 meters underground. The system guarantees an optimal temperature in all seasons, and, with a home automation control system, checks the quality of the air. A house with innovative technology, courageously modern and generous with the territory. Because innovation is the accomplishment of tradition.
Project details
Location Altamura, Bari, South Italy
Living Space 248+72m²
Architect Ing. Arch. Chiara Dipalo
Construction system Timber frame