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Moving north-west out of the city of Bergamo, the densely industrialized plain quickly gives way to wooded hills and valleys reaching towards the south-eastern end of Lake Como, with the imposing Orobie Alps rising further north. This shady woodland setting is the site of Ca’ del Bosco – a weekend get-away and holiday home for members of a large multi-generational family – designed by Floriani e Strozzi Architetti with the aim of allowing occupants direct contact with nature throughout the year.
The plot borders a golf course on the edge of a residential neighborhood of the city. The house is appropriately sited on the highest, sunniest point of the gently undulating landscape. However, the initial challenge, even before the design and construction phases, was how to turn a small hunters’ hideout built on agricultural land into a family home without disrupting the natural surroundings. Patient negotiations with the local authorities, represented by their technical experts, led to permission being given to replace the previous structure with a residential building that would be partly above, and partly below ground. The final design received broad approval for its mindful approach to the unspoiled woodland context. The glass and timber construction successfully mitigates its physical presence thanks to the use of natural materials and a configuration that molds to the gently sloping terrain.
The above ground living zone is a rectangular glass and timber volume. The large roof overhang shields the interior and creates a continuity with the exterior paved terrace that extends the full width of the overhang. The construction’s footprint sits neatly on the top of the rise while the grounds fall away from the house conforming to the natural slope. The paved surface of the terrace signals the dimension of the basement floor. Although this level is located almost completely underground, thereby minimizing the overall visible...
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