House in the Bolognese Apennines

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

House in the Bolognese Apennines 

LADO architetti

ARCHITECTS
Lado Architetti

WINDOWS
Nuova Zamagna

MANUFACTURERS
Cosentino, De Nardi, Hay, Ponzio, Silvelox, Weitzer Parkett, Mcz

DEMOLITION
F.lli Lorenzini S.r.l.

CONSTRUCTION
Prosapio Patrick Service S.r.l.

PROJECT AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Arch. Luca Ladinetti, Arch. Anna Branzanti

DRAWINGS
Arch. Alejandra Osorio Restrepo, Arch. Riccardo Bozzini

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
Ing. Emanuelel Fornalè

SYSTEM DESIGN
Per. Ind. Lorenzo Vecchi

FINISHES
Delisari Materia Design S.r.l.s.

DOORS
Qualis Design

SYSTEMS
Prosapio Patrick Service S.r.l.

CUSTOM FURNITURE
Rabatto S.r.l.

FOUNDATIONS
F.lli Lorenzini S.r.l.

PHOTOGRAPHS
Marcello Mariana

AREA
150 M²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Bologna, Italy

CATEGORY
Houses, Sustainability

Text description provided by architect.

Located on the outskirts of a very small village in the Bolognese Apennines, at an altitude of 750 meters, the house is set within a landscape of a distinctly agricultural character.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

The project was conceived with the aim of finding a balance between the region's traditional building techniques and a contemporary architectural language.

The building replaces a 1970s structure, whose demolition and reconstruction required deep reflection, taking into account regulatory constraints and the particular topography of the terrain.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

The imposed height, defined volume, and required distance from the adjacent rural road were strict constraints that guided the design towards an essential and functional solution.

The result is a clean geometric volume that modernly reinterprets the traditional pitched roof, characteristic of Apennine houses.

The silhouette is broken into two distinct volumes, creating a play of forms that evokes the context without resorting to a mere reproduction of vernacular architecture.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

The architecture is distinguished by its monochromatic black envelope—a radical choice that allows the house to blend into the natural surroundings while simultaneously standing out.

The garage, separate from the main volume but connected via a portico, introduces an element of natural integration: a metal trellis designed to host climbing plants, softening the geometries and reducing the overall visual impact.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

The use of permeable materials for external paths - draining gravel and stabilized soil - avoids the rigidity of artificial spaces and maintains a direct relationship between the house and the land.

No perimeter sidewalks: the building emerges directly from the earth, ensuring visual and material continuity with the ground.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

From a construction perspective, the project embraces technological solutions geared toward sustainability: X-LAM walls and laminated wood floors lighten the structure, making it more adaptable to the terrain's low load-bearing capacity.

Wood fiber insulation enhances energy efficiency, while photovoltaic panels (which power a battery) and a rainwater collection system complete an integrated ecological vision.

The interiors reflect a minimalist aesthetic. The ground floor opens westward toward the valley through a large glass window, allowing light to become the true protagonist of the space.

House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana
House in the Bolognese Apennines
© Marcello Mariana

The upper floor is designed for maximum functionality: two bedrooms (which can be easily converted into three) and a bathroom, arranged in a rational way to enhance the perception of space.

The large glass surfaces dissolve the boundary between indoors and outdoors, transforming the house into an observatory of the surrounding nature.


House in the Bolognese Apennines
Ground Floor Plan
House in the Bolognese Apennines
1st Floor Plan
House in the Bolognese Apennines
2nd Floor Plan
House in the Bolognese Apennines
Section AA
House in the Bolognese Apennines
Section BB
House in the Bolognese Apennines
Section CC


House in the Bolognese Apennines
East Elevation
House in the Bolognese Apennines
North Elevation
House in the Bolognese Apennines
West Elevation
House in the Bolognese Apennines
East Elevation