A loft in the town centre: Loft Calderai 38

The project involved restructuring and transformation for residential use of an unused property in a private courtyard, part of a bigger complex occupied primarily by professionals’ offices. The existing building had bare brick walls with big metal frames, a brick structure, a gable roof with wooden beams, terra cotta roof tiles and copper sheeting.

The goal was to create 3 studio flats measuring about 70 m2 based on the living concept of a single space on three main levels, generating a new form of construction combining use of timber, dry technologies and the existing masonry.

The project has a particular focus on environmental aspects promoting the inhabitants’ total wellbeing and ensuring significant energy savings: radiating underfloor and wall heating, mechanical geothermal ventilation, natural lighting, natural convection to distribute air in the home, thermal insulation (in both summer and winter) making use of wooden fibres, insulating glass with sunscreens and a ventilated roof.

To add to the sensation of indoor comfort, natural materials with a pleasant fragrance were used in the paint, made from lime and oil, and the construction itself, made out of Scandinavian red fir: materials that allow the entire building to breathe.

An additional element is the high degree of soundproofing to ensure true acoustic comfort, even though the home is very close to the city centre. The result is a contemporary space in a historic shell combining psycho-physical wellbeing, flexibility and conservation of resources.


Design: AAVV architectural studios of Paolo Greco and Paolo Maccagno
Location: Tortona, Italy
Photographs: Courtesy of AAVV

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