DF_DC's concrete villa in comano, switzerland, is conceived as an inhabited wall

architecture studio DF_DC has built a concrete villa on the comano hills, a small village north of lugano in switzerland, conceived as an inhabited wall that ensures enough privacy from the adjacent houses on its north and south sides. in order to avoid the effect of an excessively long and closed volume, the house’s side elevations are articulated by a series of deep rectangular fins, which add texture to the grey reinforced concrete surface.

all images by giorgio marafioti unless stated otherwise

DF_DC, founded by dario franchini and diego calderon, designed concrete villa comano on a plot that was previously occupied by vineyards and characterized by an elongated trapezoid form, which determined the current volume. the house benefits from interesting views towards the east and west, but, due to the constraint of having adjacent houses in close proximity toward the north and south, it has been conceived as in inhabited wall. in order to avoid the effect of an excessively long and closed volume but also ensuring a level of privacy, the side elevations are defined by a series of deep rectangular fins.

grey reinforced concrete characterizes the project, and has been altered in various ways depending on the case. the in-situ cast fins are alternated with infill elements with the old technique of ‘strollato’ used in lombard villas: a mix of pebbles and cement hand-splatted with a trowel and later sanded, thus combining old traditions and new construction techniques.

the house incorporates three levels: the basement, ground floor, and first floor; with the ground floor occupying most of the area available. this level houses the main part of the brief: reception, kitchen, workshop, and guest accommodation (with separate access), garage, as well as an ample terrace conceived as an extension of the lounge, thus becoming an intermediate space between inside and out.

the first floor, of smaller dimensions, contains the private quarters: three ensuite bedrooms and the children’s playroom. the asymmetrical position of this volume in respect of the ground floor makes the house appear smaller from the street due to the perspective effect, whilst presenting the opposite effect from the pool at the rear. lastly, the basement floor contains the wine cellar, sauna, and gym. the three floors are linked by a scenic staircase at the center of the living areas, which acts as a focal point for the family’s life inside the house.