Houzz Tour: In Sicily, a Rural Villa Celebrates Minimalism
Organic architecture and streamlined aesthetics help this house blend into its environment
The colors, light and scents of the Sicilian hills, where this home is situated, are distinctive, and the homeowners and their architect wanted the house to blend into that landscape. The idea was to create something beautiful that also would be camouflaged in its natural setting. The result is a fascinating project that marries sustainability with design.
Architect Mario Cutuli describes the house as “porous.” The placement of the windows, asymmetrical and seemingly random, makes use of the breezes during the hottest months to create natural ventilation and reduce the need for air conditioning. It’s a solution that emphasizes the philosophy of the project: to create a dialogue between the interior and exterior of the home that’s not only aesthetic but functional.
Life flows between indoors and out in the central wing. Here, too, the windows play an active role in the rhythm of the day. The central skylight, which looks almost like a cloud, acts as a kind of sundial, creating a luminous trail that follows the sun, while the floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors direct the eye to the sea and the Tonnara of Vendicari, an archeological site on the coast.
Other than the Panton di Vitra chairs, furnishings are upcycled or made by local artisans. The interior design was born of “subtraction” from the curvature of the walls. Masonry substitutes for ordinary furnishings, from the bench in the living room to the kitchen island.
The project holds emotional as well as professional value for architect Cutuli. Though he’s lived in Rome since college, he’s originally from Sicily, and he remains deeply tied to the region.
“The only initial difficulty that we had was to convince the local company that carried out the construction of a new, organic approach,” Cutuli says. “We had to win them over from the habit of working on typical buildings, following the canons of ordinary building. But the company responded very well.”
“The only initial difficulty that we had was to convince the local company that carried out the construction of a new, organic approach,” Cutuli says. “We had to win them over from the habit of working on typical buildings, following the canons of ordinary building. But the company responded very well.”
He and the homeowners agreed that the materials used should be simple: industrial cement, drywall and iron for both the interior and exterior. There are no further floor or wall coverings, and the final effect is clean and refined. “The inspiration is the country life: minimal, close to nature,” Cutuli says.”
The colors likewise are subdued. The industrial cement was left in its original shade, and the iron elements were painted a gray reminiscent of galvanized metal, a shade at times visible in the Noto sky. The starting point was the color of the clay in the surrounding countryside. Dust from local stones was used in the walls of the home, and, depending on the time of day, the light reflected on the plaster glows in different shades.
The master bedroom is a tribute to rural minimalism reinterpreted in a contemporary style.
During the design and building of the house, the owners realized the symbolic value their home was taking on, as well as the uniqueness of the location, and they decided it should be used not just for their own vacations, but for hosting travelers in search of a special place off the beaten path.
During the design and building of the house, the owners realized the symbolic value their home was taking on, as well as the uniqueness of the location, and they decided it should be used not just for their own vacations, but for hosting travelers in search of a special place off the beaten path.
Technology and bioclimatic devices contribute to the sustainability of the project. The challenge was to incorporate them invisibly — not easy given that the devices are often bulky.
The walls were built thick to help maintain the temperature inside the home. A photovoltaic system produces the energy to heat the water and operate the air-conditioning system. A fireplace boiler provides heating in the winter, and the windows cool things off in the summer.
The walls were built thick to help maintain the temperature inside the home. A photovoltaic system produces the energy to heat the water and operate the air-conditioning system. A fireplace boiler provides heating in the winter, and the windows cool things off in the summer.
The rooftop terrace is the perfect place for an aperitivo at sunset. It combines areas that are walkable with areas that resemble an outdoor living room, complete with barbecue, plumbing and masonry seating.
From here it’s easy to see how the design of the home reflects the curves and colors of the landscape. The Hyblaean Mountains have a particular undulation, linked to tectonic movements that date back millions of years to the Miocene Epoch. From above, there’s no trace of the air-conditioning motors, which are hidden so as not to disturb the visual harmony with the landscape.
From here it’s easy to see how the design of the home reflects the curves and colors of the landscape. The Hyblaean Mountains have a particular undulation, linked to tectonic movements that date back millions of years to the Miocene Epoch. From above, there’s no trace of the air-conditioning motors, which are hidden so as not to disturb the visual harmony with the landscape.
Scores of olive trees and shrubs were planted on the 6-acre property. The idea is to let the plants grow until the home all but disappears. They’re a gift to the land, which, after years of intensive farming, was at risk of becoming barren.
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Houzz at a glance
Who lives here: Guglielmo Parasporo, creator of the home rental website Cities Reference, and his wife, Elena del Drago, an art critic
Location: Noto, in Siracusa province, next to the Vendicari nature reserve on the Italian island of Sicily
Size: 2,690 square feet (250 square meters)
Architect: Mario Cutuli
The design of this home is a contemporary and innovative interpretation of the principles of organic architecture, inspired by the sinuous shapes of the nearby Hyblaean Mountains. The home is divided into three wings: three irregular polygons with rounded corners and slightly sloping walls. It serves as a vacation getaway and the perfect base for discovering the surrounding area.
The central wing, designed for socializing and spending time together, houses the kitchen and living room. The bedrooms and the bathrooms are in the other two wings. In one of these wings, designed to host guests, there’s also a small kitchenette.