Renovation of an ancient mountain cabin | Studio Ellisse architetti

The context in which the intervention is placed is that of a typical alpine rural area characterized by ancient villages arranged halfway up and by a landscape characterized by agricultural work: the terraces, the paths, the mule tracks that created an infrastructure at the service of the communities, built and maintained by them, a cyclopean work that is slowly disappearing.
The very ancient origins of San Colombano, of Romanesque culture, are evident in the urban layout characterized by very narrow streets, steep paths, and passages in tunnels. The main element of Romanesque culture is stone: San Colombano is an extraordinary example. All the buildings have a local stone wall structure, such as the roof covering, consisting of large "flagstones".
The property in question is located on the main street of the town, it presents the characteristics previously described and the main facade plastered, while the north facade, once used as a warehouse, is uncoated. The roof covering is in stone arranged parallel to the pitch.

The objective of the client was to recover the property by adapting it to the current comfort standards while respecting its characteristics.
The restoration intervention follows the philosophy of the minimum intervention: preserving and re-functionalizing materials, structural elements, accessories. In addition, durability and compatibility with the site guided the choice of new elements such as slabs, newly constructed floors, preferring local and traditional materials such as larch wood finished with natural oils and lime.

The intervention consists mainly on the:
- Recovery of the attic by insulating the roof. The original larch supporting structure has been maintained by placing a new waterproofed layer under the "flagstones", which have been fully reused, and by inserting skylights to give natural light to the environment;
- Insertion of 2 bathrooms, one on the ground floor and one serving the upper floor, plus a laundry room;
-Insertion of an internal wood and iron connecting staircase, whose lightness allows light to enter the ground floor, the darkest part of the house;
- Renovation of three slabs recovering the original beams. Thanks to the work of a master craftsman, Amleto Bellino, two of the floors were built with the centuries-old planking, still preserved in the traditional way at the old barn;
- Opening of some windows to increase the internal light of the rooms;
- Insertion of electrical and heating system;
- The plasters, where redone, were made with lime mortar and cocciopesto;
- Lime paints;
- Repainting and recovery of the original doors;
- Realization of custom-made furniture.