Avu House continues the compositional investigation of the “unfinished” or the «repeatable imperfect» that distinguishes our recent design process. Inserted in the arid diagram of the subdivision of a district in the suburbs ring Forlì, the detached house comes with solid and reassuring aspect interpreting an ideal icon of simple living, flaunting a vernacular and massive volumes. A cuboid gable is «blunt» and turned into a subtle irregular prism, with an inherent tension in the form of added value.

The perimeter strip of five meters set by building regulations, which determines the land area, is eroded in part by the ramp that leads to the basement, in part by the pedestrian access to the windows; the rest of the garden sinks in two short underground, sheltered from introspection. The short fronts are deliberately blind, denying the comparison with the surroundings of those sides (the road and the industrial zone) and emphasizing the theme identified for the side facades. Here we present a sequence of “full and empty”, marked by alternation between matte surfaces (a facing of stone blocks) and glass areas, sheltered by wooden brise soleil. Both surface treatments revolve seamless on the flaps of the cover, accentuating the theme of the combination of elements that may continue for longer: the house is thus formed by the many sections arranged side by side, able to adfirm with their combination not a fragmentation, but the uniqueness of the building.

The house seems to float, suspended centrally in the heart of the area. The entrance is on the south head, accessing the large living area which leads to the distribution center: the staircase connects the three levels, implementing a functional separation between the living area and the sleeping area, designed in the quieter part of the house, sheltered from the traffic flow, to the north.

Each ground floor room keeps an outward relationship: the openings are horizontal projections in underlying wooden platforms, emphasizing also the theme of the rhythm of the façade previously stressed. The basement, while maintaining the vocation to the service area, is marked with the opening toward the two conclusi horti, essential parts of Vu House lifestyle.