Pilgrim's Guesthouse - Monastery of Siloe | Edoardo Milesi & Archos

The guesthouse/hermitage, Winner of the First Prize of the PAT Premio Architettura Toscana 2019, is located within the 38,000 square meter area of the Monastery Complex of Siloe, which stretches over a network of hilly paths.

The five housing units are completely complementary to the monastery and consist each of a bedroom with kitchenette, bathroom, a balcony on the north side and a loggia on the south side, and they meet the requirements of architectural barriers law.

The load-bearing structure and cladding of the building, which is accessible to handicapped people, are made of certified forest wood. The building is earthquake-proof, breathable, naturally ventilated and made of entirely recyclable natural materials.

Roof, floors and walls, which are also made of wood, are breathable and highly insulated; the ventilated roof layer is made of zinc and titanium, while the exposed wood is larch exposed to natural oxidation.

According to the project, the largest glass surfaces in the module are on the north/west side, in order to use diffused light, while the south-west side consists of curtain walls with smaller glass surfaces protected by eaves. The external curtain walls, floors and frames are all made of larch wood. To combine the small buildings together and take up as little surface as possible, and since there are no views or lights between the buildings, the buildings were built at a minimum distance of 5 m from each other, although they were designed as part of a single building.