Casa Citerna | Tuscany, Italy

Sustainable heritage

The residence was originally part of a historic palace located in Chianti, Florence. During the 20th century, it was remodeled as part of an energy redevelopment initiative, leading to radical interventions that obscured its historic elements. This contemporary renovation aims to restore the character of this traditional historic Chianti houses as well as improve the building’s energy performance.

Layout Restoration

The design reinstates the continuity and fluidity of the space. The ground floor has an open-plan layout and consists of the living, dining and kitchen area connected by a series of new and existing large square openings that lead to a private garden. The openings are embellished with metallic edge bands. A double-sided fireplace replaces the old, historic one and becomes the focal point of the space.

The first floor is accessed through an old, preserved staircase made from stone. The space is stripped back to its original form and revolves around a single loadbearing wall. It houses two bedrooms with a shared bathroom and one en-suite with a large, private office overlooking the garden.

Local Materials

During reconstruction, traditional local materials were used such as terracotta tiles, chestnut wood, stone, and lime mortar. The old façade openings were traced and eventually restored to maximize the natural light entering the space as well as its connection to the surrounding landscape. Many incongruous elements constructed during the 20th century restoration were reinstated to their original typology. Part of the walls were cladded in handmade terracotta bricks manufactured in Imprunenta. The roof was reinforced with the same local chestnut wood and was further insulated using high-density wood fiber.

Elevating energy performance

An additional challenge was to increase the building’s energy efficiency using materials and design solutions that were compatible with its historic character. Instead of creating an external thermal coat, a plaster layer of lime and cork was applied to both the interior and exterior walls, adapting perfectly to their complex form and texture. New single-leaf windows in wood and aluminum minimized any thermal losses. Finally, the installation of new radiant panels led to cleaner, minimal spaces adherent to the building’s historic character.