Casa Yakisugi by Edoardo Milesi & Archos
Casa Yakisugi sits in Sorisole, Italy, where the foothills of Bergamo shape its outlook and rhythm. Designed by Edoardo Milesi & Archos in 2022, the single-family house turns toward the garden and the mountain horizon rather than the surrounding residential fabric. Charred larch, fair-faced concrete, and a pale birch interior set a clear dialogue between sturdy enclosure and warm refuge.
Gravel crunches underfoot as the dark timber volume comes into view. The charred larch skin catches light in ripples, its iridescence shifting like tree bark after rain.
This is a single-family house in the Bergamo hills by Edoardo Milesi & Archos, set in Sorisole and oriented to garden and mountain rather than nearby houses. Material choices carry the narrative: fire-treated larch outside, fair-faced concrete at grade, and birch within, aligning construction with the living landscape.
Burnt Timber Skin
Shou sugi ban turns larch into a protective shell, the burnt texture recalling bark and deepening from charcoal to soft sheen as daylight shifts. The finish doesn’t pose as decoration; it’s weatherproof armor that lets the building settle into the wooded edge. Boards read as a continuous wrap, taut and calm. Fire safeguards the grain and gives the exterior its measured depth.
Concrete Base Anchor
A fair-faced concrete plinth grounds the house and stages climbing vegetation against a quiet backdrop. Service rooms sit within this base, keeping the light timber volume above free and compact. The junction between concrete and wood feels deliberate, one weighty and cool, the other lean and quick. Openings above angle toward light, loosening the volume toward garden and sky.
Luminous Birch Core
Inside, birch wraps walls, ceilings, and built-in elements, creating an even, warm glow throughout the day. The pale timber moderates shadows and heightens clarity, a counterpoint to the dark shell outside. Rooms connect with a steady grain and restrained palette, allowing light to travel with minimal interruption. It reads as a single, bright heart—protected and calm.
Paths, Plants, Views
Permeable routes of gravel and wood stitch porch, threshold, and garden without breaking the continuity of green. Low-maintenance plantings mix aromatic herbs with taller trees positioned to align with windows, creating natural screens and specific sightlines. Everyday movement meets soft crunch underfoot and filtered air from planted edges. Views are framed rather than panoramic, tuned to horizon and leaf.
Lightness With Impact
A lightweight timber build reduces site disturbance and shortens the construction footprint. Materials work in balance: concrete holds the slope and service life, while wood carries the living rooms and their changing light. Sustainability isn’t a checklist here, it’s craft at the level of surface, structure, and garden. Fire protects, wood endures, and the house works with the seasons.
Evening returns the exterior to deep charcoal as the birch interior glows against the garden. The composition stays quiet, charred shell outside and luminous rooms within. In the hush, material choices feel both practical and poised.
Photography by Andrea Ceriani
Visit Edoardo Milesi & Archos
