Zen inspiration at the foot of the Alps

PROJECT

The architect Duilio Damilano has designed a villa in Piedmont in the style of a meditation pavilion in an ancient Japanese garden

“Ie” is the Japanese word for home, but also for roof, family and safe protection. Duilio Damilano, an architect from Cuneo, explains in an interview with Ville&Casali how having visited Japan many times, where he had the chance to study Japanese architecture and primarily Japanese gardens first hand, he decided to present his Zen-inspired design to a client who wanted a modern home. The almost 500-square metre villa was built on a 2-hectare plot on the moraine ridge of the Piedmontese Alps.

The building sits on a reinforced concrete slab and is made of metal and wood. The entrance to the villa on the north side is accessed by a series of stone steps completely immersed in greenery. This, together with the cantilevered walkway made of weathering steel, makes for a playful mix of designs. Once inside the villa, the large lounge opens up before you, connecting the most private part of the house the bedrooms - with the guest annex. The luxurious lounge featuring two comfortable sofas, a large wooden dining table and a completely open kitchen, is enclosed by glass walls to create a constant link with the outside. To maintain this dialogue with the surrounding landscape, the designer decided to incorporate vast windows, some fixed, others sliding, which lead to a teak terrace complete with long infinity pool. Two large basins were designed in this area, one with water and water lilies and the other housing a Japanese garden.