☉ Bike-Hotel serving the Ofanto Valley Cycle Route is a fourth prize competition entry by Expandstudio for Province of Barletta Andria in 2023. It is located in Minervino Murge Italy in a countryside setting. Its scale is medium with a surface of 1.200 sqm. Key materials are stone and wood. Concepts such as fragmentation linear block mobility nature and usable roof are explored.
The Locone Reservoir complex currently consists of a series of pavilions aligned along a single axis. However, this primary axis does not relate to the surrounding landscape or the impressive Locone River dam. The proposed intervention aims to break this orientation by introducing a transverse element that creates two open courtyards. Much like traditional “Masserie”, Apulian farmhouses, the aggregation of simple volumes (even with varying shapes) can create intimate and high-quality open spaces. The project plans to retain the existing metal structures, integrating them with new volumes envisioned as flat-roofed structures made of rammed earth. In addition to these enclosed spaces, the metal frameworks will incorporate sections of «incannucciato» (woven cane screens) that provide shaded areas, encouraging the use of outdoor spaces even during the hottest periods.