The house of the future? Undoubtedly sustainable. In both construction and architecture, designing eco-friendly homes is a growing trend, the result of an increasingly deep-rooted ecological awareness that leads to the creation of houses with a reduced environmental impact, designed to improve the comfort and quality of life of who lives there, respecting the surrounding area.
The latest example in chronological order, the eco-friendly houses on Lake Maggiore inj the Archea complex in Laveno Mombello, a real flagship for our country and a perfect example of harmonious research between architecture, design and respect for nature, inaugurated on 15 October 2021.
From the 174 Grand in Brooklyn to the Woodland Home in Wales, contemporary architecture has accustomed us to wonderful examples of green buildings.
The imperative is to reduce the environmental impact of residential structures, giving life to projects in which everything, starting from the choice of the place of construction and materials, is designed with a view to energy efficiency, consumption reduction and of sustainability. The result is homes intended to redevelop abandoned areas and integrate harmoniously into the surrounding natural and landscape context, where the well-being and comfort of those who live there are predominant.
For this reason, the 4 residential units of the Archea Residences in Laveno Mombello, designed by the architect Marco Casamonti and included in the residential complex of the South Tyrolean group Pohl Immobilien, are now fully included in the Olympus of the most beautiful sustainable homes in the world.
Four finely shaped and sculpted stones by the waters of the lake: this is the feeling you get when looking at the 4 buildings that make up the Archea Residences and it is also the result sought by its creator who wanted to recreate the colors of the lake, the ripples of the its waters and the morphology of the territory.
Even the choice of the place is not absolutely random. To celebrate the glorious past of the ceramic district of Laveno Mombello, the complex is located in a former industrial area where a well-known ceramic factory once stood, completely restored as a result of a huge work of reclamation and redevelopment of the territory started in late 90s.
The newly inaugurated sustainable houses on Lake Maggiore embellish a new piece of the city of Laveno Mombello, acting as a link between the public square and the lakefront, designed by the London landscape architects Gustafson & Porter. The one recently inaugurated is only the third of 5 projects intended to redevelop the area with accommodation, hotel and residential facilities by internationally renowned architects.
The project is signed by Marco Casamonti, founding architect of the Archea studio and holder of the chair of Architectural and Urban Design at the Polytechnic School of the University of Genoa.
The construction was instead handled by the South Tyrolean group Pohl Immobilien, specialized in the construction of eco-friendly buildings , which invested significant capital in this area of Lake Maggiore, helping to transform its waterfront and the surrounding public space. Another contribution to the project comes from BottegaNove, a Vicenza-based company of Made in Italy excellence in the production of ceramics, involved in the project for the realization of the facades of the 26 residential units of the complex.
After more than 1 year of research, pentagonal-shaped tiles came to light, slightly concave towards the inside, with an artisanal enamel finish in 7 chromatic shades of the famous "Laveno blue", the symbolic color of the place, which gave an one-of-a-kind effect.
Photo by Pohl Immobilien
As expressly stated by its creator Marco Casamonti, the residences of the Archea complex have precise artistic and cultural references ranging from Gio Ponti to Gustav Klimt, passing through Stendhal who fell in love with Lake Maggiore. But the main source of inspiration remains the morphology of this unique area in the world and its deepest spirit, which the architect wanted to celebrate.
The starting point is precisely the colors of the lake and the famous Blu Laveno, typical of the ancient Pozzi-Ginori ceramic factory that once stood in this area and has now become a charming hotel, and wisely recreated with the coverings used for the facades. The skill was precisely that of reproducing the vibrations of the lake water rippled by the breeze, with that typical light that only the encounter between sky and water can give life. At the same time, the concept of the project is to give life to an exclusive living space, in which "... the domestic space lives its intimacy in relation to its surroundings, transforming itself into a garden of wonders ...", as Casamonti explains. .
For all those interested in visiting Lake Maggiore, we recommend reading one of our in-depth articles "Ideas for a Weekend at Lago Maggiore!". A visit to the Archea complex must absolutely be added to the list.
The construction took place in full respect of the environment, according to the most innovative sustainability and energy saving criteria. Its insertion in a completely pedestrian area, the presence of large common green spaces that decline towards the lakefront and a two-storey underground car park, make it a small quiet and safe village on a human scale, perfectly inserted in the surrounding landscape.
The strong chromatic connotation desired for the exteriors is contrasted by the brightness and cleanliness of the interiors, where the white surfaces, the wood paneling and the large windows overlooking the lake are the masters. As for the amenities, like many of our Lake Maggiore apartments, even those in the Archea complex are equipped with a heat pump system that takes water directly from the lake, photovoltaic panels, underfloor heating and cooling systems, dehumidification systems and sound insulation.
Lun - Ven 9/13 - 14/18 Sab 9/13 Domenica - Su appuntamento
Mon - Fri 9/13 - 14/18 Sat 9/13 Sunday - On appointment
Mo - Fr 9/13 - 14/18 Sa 9/13 Sonntag - Nach Vereinbarung