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Compendio di Sant'Orsola, a tale of light and memory in the heart of Treviso, Italy

ARCH. ROBERTO DRIUSSO - ARCH. MARTINA ZANATTA

Renovation  /  Completed
ARCH. ROBERTO DRIUSSO - ARCH. MARTINA ZANATTA

Set in the historic center, the project addresses regeneration with precision and restraint, working on an early 20th-century Liberty building marked by incoherent additions. The intervention reorders past layers through a new, essential volume respectfully placed alongside the existing structure. A glazed wall—transparent threshold—connects the two identities, revealing a dialogue between eras. The perforated metal sun screen, inspired by a sketch by Tobia Scarpa, becomes both a poetic and technical element, bringing rhythm, light, and coherence to the architectural whole

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External view - The restored building showcases its historical elegance

The project integrates into the urban fabric with discretion and intent, mending an architectural and perceptive void in the historic core. The new volume, while openly contemporary, engages in dialogue with the heights, rhythms, and materials of its surroundings. Architecture becomes a hinge between memory and city, restoring visual and spatial continuity to the built landscape. Light filtered through the metal screen animates the façade with shifting patterns, offering the city a renewed and vibrant fragment of urban identity.

External view - Modern design meets historic elegance

The project integrates sustainable strategies to minimize environmental impact, blending innovation with respect for context. The new volumes use low-impact materials, recyclable metal finishes, and high-performance glazing for energy efficiency. Adjustable sunshades reduce overheating, while photovoltaic panels on the roof convert sunlight into clean energy, ensuring autonomy and emission reduction. These technologies, combined with careful natural light and ventilation control, make the intervention a model of responsible, contemporary architecture.

External view - An elegant interplay of light and transparency

The project stands out for its balanced integration of historical rigor and contemporary innovation, restoring new dignity to an early 20th-century Liberty building marked by time and incoherent additions. The volumetric recomposition, which includes a new architectural volume, is based on a clear and decisive gesture that redefines boundaries while respecting the existing structure and enhancing its layered history. The glazed wall, a key element, acts as a transparent and luminous membrane that connects the historic building to the new addition, creating a fluid and contemporary dialogue between different eras.

The solar shading system, made of operable perforated metal panels inspired by a sketch from Tobia Scarpa, serves as a distinctive feature combining function and poetry. This modular filter regulates natural light, creating shifting shadows and rhythm on the façade, lending depth and lightness to the new volume.

Sustainability strategies are also integrated: the use of low-impact materials and recyclable metal finishes ensures responsible choices, while photovoltaic panels on the roof contribute to clean energy production, providing energy autonomy and reducing emissions. The combination of these technologies with careful control of natural light and ventilation makes the intervention a model of contemporary architecture, able to engage in dialogue with history, the urban landscape, and future needs.

External view - A modern perforated facade
The project rests at the heart of the city like a tale of light and memory. The new converses with the past through a glass wall that unites, and a sunshade that gently modulates sunlight. A subtle balance between innovation and history, giving new life and identity to a space that continues to tell its own story over time.

Credits

 Treviso
 Italia
 Residence DM
 Residenziale
 12/2024
 410 m2
  1,500,000.00 €
 Roberto Driusso (DAA) - Martina Zanatta
 Studio DAA - Arch. Elena Baraldi - Arch. Anna De Lazzari
 Ing. Andrea Barban, Ing. Simone Ricci (MEP), P. I. Gerardo Pessetto, Geom. Gian Matteo Coan
 Centro edile Milano srl, Costruzioni Gallina srl, Met Solution srl, Agostini Group, Termoidraulica Sile srl, Cardea Group srl, Carraro Ascensori srl, Stingers illuminotecnica srl, Gd Dorigo spa
 Marco Zanta

Bio

Architects Roberto Driusso and Martina Zanatta collaborate on architecture and interior design projects, combining complementary approaches and shared visions.
Roberto Driusso, co-founder of DAA – Driusso Associati Architects with Franco Driusso, focuses on architectural and interior design, as well as project management. His style is minimalist, emphasizing construction details, material experimentation, and light as an emotional element. His studio has received prestigious awards, including Compasso d’Oro ADI, Good Design Award, The Plan Award, and Archiproducts Design Award.
Martina Zanatta, graduated with honors from IUAV Venice after studying at the Barcelona School of Architecture, works between Milan and abroad on residential and hospitality projects. She also engages in major restoration projects in Venice and teaches, exploring the economic aspects of design and investment. Since 2021, she has collaborated on various projects with architect Armando Guizzo.

https://www.driussoassociati.c...


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