An Unfinished Family Villa in Italy Is Reworked as an Industrial Office Space

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Project Details:

Location: Turin, Italy

Architect: Archisbang / @archisbang_architettura

Contractor: Perino Costruzioni

Photographer: Aldo Amoretti / @aldoamoretti

From the Architect: "An uncompleted family villa—acquired through a bankruptcy auction—in Quagliuzzo, Turin, has been transformed into additional office space for Chemsafe, which has its headquarters nearby. The project reinterprets the idea of the unfinished, using raw materials and bare finishes alongside brightly colored elements and plywood birch joinery.

"On the outside, the volume is wrapped in a metal mesh and the walls are clad in exposed wood fiber and concrete insulating panels and galvanized metal sheets, creating a contrast between precise detailing and raw materiality. The new extension under the portico is  a reflective box, also clad in galvanized sheet metal, which redefines the face of the building to express its new function.

"Inside, portions of walls and the ceilings are treated with mineralized wood fiber panels and cement, to create acoustic comfort. Technical details—including the mechanical ventilation—are left visible to celebrate the industrial aesthetic.

"On the ground floor, the reception and offices are connected to the upper two levels by a central staircase with a single ramp: an existing element that has been refinished in yellow resin. The basement level, where the archives, kitchen, and break-out spaces are located, is accessed via a stair crafted from sheet metal and supported by chains. Executive offices and informal break-out spaces are found on the mezzanine level.

"The connection with the surrounding landscape is enhanced through the use of netting and repeating elements in both the interior and exterior, such as the doors. A 50-meter running track also winds around and through the house."