Fienile Cocchi by SBAR – Salonia Baldin Architettura
The Fienile Cocchi residential project converted a barn that has a history dating back several centuries. Located in Reggio Emilia, Italy, the house was designed by SBAR – Salonia Baldin Architettura. The team restores a historic 300 sqm (3,229 sq ft) barn while introducing a contemporary glazed volume, allowing natural light to fill the spaces. While Joao Martins created the interior design, the project was completed in 2024.
Converting A Barn Into A Residential Space
The project involved the restoration and residential conversion of a 300 sqm (3,229 sq ft) barn that is partof the historically listed complex of the former Cocchi Liquor Distillery in Reggio Emilia. The main goal of the intervention was to enhance the spatial qualities and physical features ofthe former Cocchi barn: a clearly legible structural rhythm defined by perimeter pilasters anda row of tall central columns; a large internal volume divided into two areas on differentlevels; and an impressive roof structure composed of oak trusses and beams.
Lighting And Ventilation Constraints
The primary challenge in adapting the former barn for residential use was the very limitednumber of existing openings, resulting in scarce natural light and ventilation. This constraint,combined with the requirement to preserve the composition and morphology of the protectedurban façades, led to the decision to intervene mainly from above, working on the building’sroof.
Creating A Central Patio
While new roof windows were introduced for the bedrooms and service areas, the symboliccenterpiece of the project is the central patio: not merely an opening in the roof, but anadditive gesture – a large, fully glazed light-filled volume around which the new spaces areorganized. This feature clearly defines the contrast between the new and the existingarchitecture.
Maintaining The Original Division
The layout proposal is also guided by a reading of the structural and spatial framework. Theoriginal division of the barn’s volume is retained, with the sleeping quarters located on theupper level (where the ceiling height is lower) and the living areas on the lower level. Thesleeping area is structured as an alternation of bedrooms and service rooms, connected by agenerous circulation space that maintains both physical and visual continuity with the largeopen-plan living area below, characterized by the historical timber trusses and organized intotwo zones around the central patio.
Materials And Finishes
The choice of materials and interior finishes was based on a reinterpretation of the existingfeatures, developing a limited and coherent palette designed to highlight the building’shistorical and aesthetic value.
Brick Walls And A Staircase
The new spaces feature exposed brick walls, with areinterpretation of traditional brick latticework (gelosie) introduced in the upper sections. Theexisting perimeter walls were treated with a warm-toned, coarse-grain natural lime plaster,which was also used—mixed with resin—for the flooring. The new staircase block was built with a self-supporting structure and perforated sheet metalpanels, while the window frames and other detailed elements were crafted in burnishedmetal. Completing the material palette is natural-toned wood, used for custom-designedfixed furnishings created specifically for this project.
Photography by Fabio Mantovani
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