Old Olive House: Contemporary Design Meets Historic Charm
Dive into the enchanting world of the Old Olive House, a testament to Francesco Dolce‘s genius. Perched on the hills of Muscoline, Italy, this contemporary villa overlooks the spectacular Lake Garda, blending seamlessly into the surrounding oak forests.
The residence reveres nature, boasting a single-story design crowned in corten to limit environmental impact and maximize views of the lake’s unforgettable sunrises. Equally captivating is the incorporation of a centuries-old olive tree, which pierces through the house, grounding the design in local history. The flat rooftop garden, adorned with local flora, and large boulders integrated into the architecture reflect Dolce’s thoughtful approach to incorporating native elements. The structure harmoniously mixes modern lines with traditional local stonework, made possible by Geopietra®’s innovative and precise stone reproduction.
Sustainability completes this gem, with a fully insulated concrete structure, photovoltaic panels, and water recycling mechanisms creating a green haven in this coveted Italian lakeside location.
About Old Olive House
An Architectural Masterpiece Perched on Lake Garda’s Slopes
Perched on the hills that gaze down upon the tranquil shores of lower Lake Garda, a captivating new villa stands out, seamlessly blending with its picturesque surroundings. This project was centered around creating a structure that mirrors the beautiful oak forests and indigenous vegetation of this mild-climate region, resulting in a perfect harmony with nature.
A Harmonious Design with Emphasis on Environmental Integration
To lessen its visual impact, this villa unfolds on a single above-ground floor, emphasizing horizontality, gracefully highlighted by corten crowning. The villa’s design, featuring simple geometries, prioritizes luminosity, courtesy of expansive windows that offer stunning lake vistas and unforgettable sunrises.
A Seamless Interplay Between Architecture and Nature
The architecture consists of two structures with defined and regular geometries, punctuated by an ordering hinge element that provides access to the elevated garden. The villa does not disrupt the natural setting but rather embraces it, punctuated by a centuries-old olive tree that serves as a landmark of memories. Moreover, the flat roof transforms into a flourishing garden, hosting a variety of shrubs and local flowers. This roof extends a few meters (yards) beyond the villa, offering a shade layer during the summer. With a corten finish, it blends with the surrounding foliage in the fall.
Harmonious Adaptation to the Hillside
Where the hillside naturally declines, the structure extends to two floors. The lower floor, hosting the main entrance and access to the basement rooms, harmoniously extends the hill’s terrain. Enhancing this connection, large boulders retrieved from the property punctuate the house’s extreme sides, and a stone wall offers a contrasting complement to the home’s modern lines at the center.
Innovative Use of Local Stone and Geopietra® Technology
In an effort to respect local architectural styles, the team explored local structures and identified two distinct stone wall types. They opted for the more elaborate style, built with locally-quarried, hewn stones. Given the scarcity of these stones, the team collaborated with Geopietra®. Accepting the challenge, the company meticulously studied local stones and replicated them using casts created from stones sourced from centuries-old Italian dwellings. This painstaking process resulted in “Cassaga,” a precise reproduction of a nearly unobtainable stone model, adding to Geopietra®’s varied catalog.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: A Core Concern
This villa abides by stringent standards for living comfort, energy conservation, and sustainability. The wholly reinforced concrete structure features an external EPS thermal insulation layer of 30 cm (about 12 inches), complemented by Geopietra®’s natural reconstituted stone, known as the mastosistema®.
The integration of photovoltaic panels and water recycling, combined with thoughtful architectural research, perfects this gem, harmoniously nested in the nature surrounding one of Europe’s most beautiful lakes.
Photography courtesy of Francesco Dolce
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- by Matt Watts
