Timber villa: when contemporary design meets energy efficiency - Morro d'Alba (Ancona)

Timber houses offer a modern and sustainable housing solution, combining high comfort with maximum safety for the family. Thanks to the use of natural materials and state-of-the-art construction techniques, these structures offer a cosy, well-insulated and durable environment, ideal for ensuring well-being and tranquillity in all seasons.

Work on this beautiful single-family villa was completed in 2021. The house is located in Morro d'Alba (Ancona) in a reserved area not far from the town centre and is on two levels for a total of about 160 square metres. The ground floor houses the residential rooms, which open onto a large panoramic terrace, while the basement houses the garage, technical rooms and a living room connected directly to the garden.

In a privileged position, the villa offers a wide panoramic view over the hills of the Marche region, making the most of the features of the land. The volumetry of the building consists of rectangular bodies surmounted by pitched roofs, with an entrance portico along the north-west front and a panoramic portico on the south-east side, incorporated into the roof.

The design emphasises the continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces, with large openings and porticoes on opposite fronts that enhance the visual relationship with the surrounding landscape. The centrepiece of the building is a living room with a mezzanine, which defines its volume and gives character to the entire structure. The gable, an archetypal element of wooden architecture, was chosen as the dominant theme of the architectural image.

To minimise construction time, environmental impact and structural loads, prefabricated timber construction was chosen, restricting the use of reinforced concrete to foundations and basement rooms. The connection with the ground was achieved by reprofiling, balancing the excavation and backfill volumes.

From a bioclimatic point of view, the building has been designed to optimise energy efficiency through a functional arrangement of openings. The closed northern front protects against the cold, while the large openings to the south-east, with porches and loggias, allow for the natural adjustment of sunlight intake according to the season. Sunbreakers and natural shading contribute to improved indoor comfort by cutting down on the use of cooling systems. Opposite openings on the south and east fronts, combined with natural ventilation, ensure efficient air circulation.

The building's envelope is highly insulated, with the use of rock wool for internal insulation and an external wood-cement coat, ensuring a high level of thermal insulation. The use of natural materials, such as wood and natural fibres, not only contributes to the sustainability of the building, but also improves its thermal and acoustic performance.

The building has a mixed structure: reinforced concrete for the parts in contact with the ground and wood for the two above-ground storeys. The load-bearing structure was made of glulam using Subissati Platform Frame construction technology, with floor decks and fir board roofing. This choice makes it possible to contain weight and minimise stress on foundations, while ensuring strength and design flexibility.

Architectural Design: LPSA Lando Pieragostini architectural firm Mr Lando Pieragostini (architect)  Mr Diego Federici (engineer)

Architectural Structures: S.T.A. LANDI di Landi Ortolani Santinelli Pomili  Mr Michele Santinelli (engineer)

Architectural Systems: Mr Simone Rampichini (engineer)

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