This project is entirely dedicated to the landscape. Double aspect fully-glazed facades allow the landscape to saturate the public areas of the house. This perception is driven by the orientation of the building in relation to the sea view and the sunset and the desire to celebrate both.

The accommodation is divided into two volumes. The volumes are juxtaposed and shifted in order to achieve privacy and a sense of flow. Meanwhile the main entrance is emphasised by the exaggerated perspective of the diagonal walls.

House in Noto II
Noto, Syracuse, Italy
2018

This project entailed the conversion of three flats into a single five-storey house. The main challenge in such a house is that of vertical circulation. It was important that moving from floor to floor was a beautiful experience that didn’t feel overwhelming or unpleasant.

We enlarged the stairwell to introduce a void in the middle, providing importance and grandeur to the stair and allowing natural light to travel all the way from the roof to the basement. The sinuously sculptural nature of the stair adds an element of fun and pleasure to the experience.

House in Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park, London, UK
2009

The Art Foundation required the conversion of a school building into an exhibition space. The existing buildings comprised a main volume along the edge of the site, a shed building inside the precinct and a separate corner building. The key feature of the project is a new glazed block that connects the first two volumes and hosts the entire vertical and horizontal circulation, allowing the creation of an unobstructed exhibition areas at each end. The new block is wrapped by a coloured strings shading device which adjusts to the angle of the sun to guarantee excellent energy performance. In addition to the exhibition areas and storage, the project includes a conference room, shop, café, library and a media room. The corner building is used as accommodation for an artist-in-residence.

Study for an Art Foundation
Visibility Study
2011

This project – the result of a collaboration with Italian architect Flavio Albanese – saw two artists’ studios converted into a penthouse apartment. Central to the design are the two magnificent windows at the front of the living space and the vaulted double height space.

The requirement was to enhance and reinstate the generous proportions of the original rooms, which were compromised by the introduction of a mezzanine level. The solution is cleverly achieved, without losing any floor area, by the introduction of lightweight mirrored panels on the vertical and horizontal partitions of the mezzanine.

House in Notting Hill
Notting Hill, London, UK
2012

Competition entry (honorable mention) for a residential tower in Lima, Peru. The brief required 81 apartments from two to four bedrooms, staff areas, event room, a gym, a pool, a roof garden and four levels of underground parking. The site is in central Lima facing the golf club on one side and with sea views to the other. Such a prestigious location came with strict envelope restrictions. The design emphasises the relationship between indoor and outdoor spaces, maximising natural light and while maintaining privacy in every dwelling. This is achieved by the careful juxtaposition of blocks shifted apart and rotated, forming a pattern of voids and solids that prevents overlooking.

Rascacielo Apartments
Competition entry
2013

This villa sits in a hilly almond grove next to the Vendicari nature reserve. Striking colours, perfumes and sounds complement the astonishing 360 degree views.

The house fits the landscape, gently adjusting to the levels of the site. From afar it looks like a cluster of simple volumes, and up close it is a patio house entirely dedicated to the perception of the landscape, in a constant exchange between indoor and outdoor. The villa celebrates Sicily in every aspect of its being, from the layouts to the use of traditional materials, construction techniques and colours.

House in Noto I
Noto, Syracuse, Italy
2017

This project required the conversion of a new building into a youth hostel with 20 bedrooms, a restaurant at street level, common areas and two levels of underground parking. Situated just outside the historic centre of Rome, the revamp needed to fit its rich context in the historic neighbourhood of San Lorenzo. Of the many architectural styles in the local area we chose to relate our design to the neighbouring industrial buildings and artists’ studios – combining modern geometric shapes with timeless materials.

Study for a Youth Hostel
Visibility Study
2016

This project is located on the Via Cassia, part of the original infrastructure of ancient Rome. Central to the design is the intention to fit into the site with character and style while celebrating its history.

The site’s main characteristic is a steep slope. The elongated volume is pinned into the land creating a structural and architectural bond with it. The accommodation is on two levels, with the bedrooms on the first floor and the common areas at garden level, alongside a long pool. There is an additional basement level with parking and plantrooms. The facade at garden level is clad with a Roman-style brick wall that wraps around the whole building and blends into the main retaining wall across the site.

A neighbouring late 19th century villa is a significant addition to the site. The relationship between the two sites is enhanced by the use of matching coloured render and the integrated element of the retaining wall.

House in Ponte Milvio
Rome, Italy
On Site

This unusual London house is part of a converted Victorian school. The accommodation is on three levels, with the common spaces on the ground floor and the bedrooms above. The main challenge was to bring light into the centre of the floorplan, once part of a long corridor serving classrooms either side.

The solution was to move the vertical circulation into the centre of the building, creating a full height void flooded with natural light. The resulting freed-up area was turned into a generous studio or spare bedroom. This room benefits from a large window and is closed with a glazed partition so that it further contributes to illuminating the core of the house.

House in Battersea
Battersea, London, UK
2008

The project area is a triangular space at the intersection of two monumental building: the apse of the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the octagonal volume of the Medici chapels. The orientation and monumental scale of the two existing buildings ensure that the space is almost always in shadow – reducing the clarity of the site with a rather confusing identity from the start. Respect for the surrounding structures and their rich historical context informed every detail of the project, though it was also important to allow the new structure to affirm its own distinct and recognizable identity.

We drew inspiration from the Florentine Renaissance, with its harmony of proportions, marked by contrasting chromatic elements. One such example is Michelangelo's exemplary New Sacristy, located within the complex.

Cappelle Medicee
Competition Entry
2018