House C

Set amidst the rural landscape of the Itria Valley, Casa C offers a contemporary interpretation of the Mediterranean courtyard house through an architectural language that is minimalist, material-focused and deeply rooted in the Apulian region. The project blends discreetly into the context of the Itria Valley, engaging with the landscape of dry-stone walls, farmhouses and vernacular architecture, from which it draws inspiration and construction principles to create a contemporary architecture capable of evoking intimacy, tranquillity and continuity with nature. The house is organised around the principle of the courtyard, an archetypal element of Mediterranean living. A wall of tuff blocks defines the main façade and shields the house from the road, leading into an entrance courtyard featuring an orchard. This transitional space gradually guides the passage from the exterior to the domestic realm, reinforcing a sense of seclusion and introspection. The floor plan is structured around pure, compact volumes which, facing the road, present the image of an introverted and sheltered mass, whilst towards the valley the architecture opens up completely to the landscape. The house is organised into two distinct wings — one dedicated to the master suite and the other to guests — connected by the large central living room, conceived as the hub of daily life and a place for engaging with the outside world. Materiality is one of the fundamental aspects of the project. The building is constructed from local calcarenite stone, reinterpreted through contemporary finishes and a light wash of whitewash that unifies the whole and protects the façades from the elements. In certain places, the mass of the walls is lightened by openwork, bas-reliefs and three-dimensional perforations that filter natural light during the day and, in the evening hours, transform the building into a diffuse luminous presence within the landscape. Light and material become an integral part of the architectural composition. The interior spaces are defined by a warm, soft light, designed to be absorbed by the stone without creating intrusive reflections, helping to create intimate and tranquil atmospheres. The furnishings and bespoke elements have also been designed in keeping with the architectural language, reinforcing the project’s expressive unity. The outdoor spaces continue this same pursuit of integration with the landscape. The swimming pool blends into the landscape as a natural feature, merging visually with the surrounding valley and enhancing the perception of the landscape. The landscaping scheme uses exclusively native Mediterranean plant species, selected to ensure continuity with the area’s natural vegetation and to avoid any elements foreign to the context. Casa C thus interprets the theme of contemporary living through a balance between tradition and innovation, memory and abstraction, architecture and landscape. An essential and introspective project, deeply connected with nature and with the light of Puglia.