Borio House

This project is a renovation of a 220 sm private house dating back 1920 located in the core of Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna, IT) city center, behind the mediaeval city walls. The building is arranged on 3 floors and it is surrounded by a small garden of 250 sm. This house, owned by a jung couple, presents the typical plan layout of the ‘20s: one basement with restroom and two floors above ground with an entrance area connecting two big rooms and one restroom each floor. The owner’s intention was to change the overall layout enlarging in particular the living area.Such an expansion took place demolishing a structural wall and subsequently replacing it with a steel beam, which had to be design to fit current anti-seismic lows. Trough this operation has been created a new open space living area at ground floor. The old built in stone stair was demolished and substituted with a new one, which presents a metal frame supporting wood steps. Light color materials such as larch wood and lime (for floors and walls) have been used in order to increase the house over all brightness.