While materiality is sometimes just the punctuation at the end of an architectural sentence, the textures and colors become transformative elements for Sundaymorning and Massimo Fiorido Associati’s House in a Pine Wood. The collaborative work is a renovation of a summer residence built on the sand dunes of Marina di Castagneto Carducci, an area of Tuscany, Italy that is blessed with a trio of pines, oaks, and myrtles. The façade of the residence features travertine marble, the inherent texture of the product harmonizing with the rough bark of the trees surrounding the house.
Wooden planks form a patio around the home in order to help negotiate the elevation changes in the landscape, as well as highlight the geometric forms of the house through the wood’s grain. Inside, regular walls are white but key spatial elements such as door frames and dividers to separate kitchen from dining room are done in a teak wood. A staircase of the same wood draws the greatest attention; its rise and tread outline form the outline of a staggered shelving unit underneath and shelves of a similar motif are set into the adjacent wall, incorporating the surrounding forest as an essential part of the home.
