A Restored Stable in the Italian Alps Embraces Its Unparalleled Landscape

When the architects at ATOMAA first approached the agrarian structure they were commissioned to renovate for a Zurich-based family in Varzo, Italy, it was in dire shape. But the building—with its rich Italian Alpine heritage and abundance of reusable materials—had the potential to become the bucolic retreat of the owners’ dreams. 

Surrounded by towering peaks in a valley of larch trees, the existing home included an old fireplace and large stone arch that hinted at its storied past. The architects used the building’s history to inspire its promising future. 

The 1,530-square-foot home—dubbed House Cinsc—carefully balances authenticity and contemporaneity, preserving the existing shape of the structure while reconfiguring the interiors through a discrete extension. Local artisans restored the exterior by hand using stones from the original building. The textured facade pays homage to the home’s traditional identity while mirroring the craggy mountains just beyond its walls. 

In contrast to the rugged exterior, the interior creates an unadorned yet warm environment from which to observe the surrounding landscape. An entirely wooden core traces the shape of the stone exterior, illustrating the "space within space" principle favored by ATOMAA for the reuse of Alpine ruins. 

Whenever possible, timber elements recovered from the old floors and deteriorated roof beams were reused by the architects. "In a context strongly characterized by the use of stone, we internally chose wood for the floors, walls, ceilings, and main furnishings," says the team at ATOMAA. The restrained material palette also uses larch, black resin, raw concrete, and slate to showcase a wealth of volumes and proportions. 

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At the spatial and emotional heart of the home is the kitchen, which the architects redesigned as a double-height room to accommodate the extension—where the home’s other spaces branch off from. Natural light floods the interior from above through the fully glazed roof gable.

Just as intended, the restored home is rigorous and minimal while possessing a rustic warmth. Perhaps more importantly, its neighboring, intricate rock formations and idyllic pastures continue to remain untouched.   

Related Reading:

This Dizzying Prefab Is Perched on the Edge of the Italian Alps

A Minimalist Residence Rises From Medieval Italian Ruins

Project Credits: 

Architect of Record: ATOMAA / @atomaa.eu  

General Contractor: Alberto Giozza

Structural Engineer: Boschi-Grugni Associati 

Interior Design: ATOMAA

Cabinetry Design: Workshop Moor

Thermotechnical Engineer: Francesco Ollio

Carpentry: Segheria Minetti