Ancient origins with a modern twist

The Borgo Hermada project took almost 15 years to complete, but it was well worth the wait. The project began in 2008 when the area was purchased, complete with two listed buildings. The masterplan was drawn up by TRA Architetti and the architectural design was created by Mediapolis Engineering, TRA Architetti and Filippo Orlando from +Studio Architetti, who also served as artistic director.

“The central hub of the new residential complex with a communal garden is the former convent known as Palazzo Redentore and the older Villa Angelica. To bring the massing back into balance, the internal distribution of the two volumes was completely reorganised so that the living areas now face the hillside and the sleeping areas look out onto the new tree-lined road. In addition, the exterior envelope was modernised by incorporating more contemporary elements. The regular steel grid of the terraces, enhanced by brick brise soleil elements, punctuates the interior façade of the former convent, and the natural wood-lined loggias at either end offer completely new views of the city and the hillside. The press-formed, pre-painted and backlit sheet metal used on the villa creates a new partly roofed and partly terraced projecting front volume that refers back to the original design,” notes architect Filippo Orlando.

“The reclaimed space allowed for the construction of two two-storey buildings — Casa San Martino and Casa della Vigna — in a slightly set-back position, completing the plot’s perimeter with a decidedly modern design.”

The end result is a residential complex that, because of its location, tranquillity, differences between its constituent buildings and the presence of a church, fully deserves the description of “Borgo”, a term that was once reserved for small, mostly abandoned old villages but now refers to small communities that are extremely popular for their quality of life.

The facing brick base of Palazzo Redentore, punctuated by pilasters of various sizes and openings, serves as the platform supporting the two villas and delineates the public spaces and new entrances, and is a distinguishing feature and element of continuity. The entrance, which serves as the intervention’s focal point, creates an unexpected urban space, a square for use by the community.

While the exterior is traditional, with plasterwork in warm white to light grey and roof tiles in classic terracotta red, the walkways connecting the buildings are paved with Ceramiche Keope porcelain, a material that stands out for its modern aesthetic combined with durability, functionality, ease of maintenance, strength, and hygiene. The beauty of stone from the Italian mountains was chosen for the open-air walkways and steps, as well as the skirting boards and floors in the common indoor areas: for the exterior, Pietra di Lavis, Pietra di Bressa and Pietra di Bagnolo from the versatile Percorsi Smart collection; for the interior, where the colour palette varies from beige to a wide range of greys, the choice fell on multiform pebble stone (Dolmix Grey), limestone (Dunstone Beige) and striated stone (Swisstone Anthracite), as well as the more contemporary concrete (Londale beige).