Villa Emma in Costa Smeralda

Winner of the World Architecture News Award 2019 as House of the Year, Villa Emma is a summer retreat located in Costa Smeralda, one of the most prestigious holiday spots. Villa Emma melts the rigour of "Stazzi", the local rural buildings, with the modern house principles of open floor plans and connection between outdoor and indoor spaces. This house plays poetically with the sky and the land. The hand-cut granite stones on the ground floor plunge into the natural landscape while the sliding glass doors on the first floor reflect the sky and when completely open tranform the house into a terrace. Continuity has been emphasized using the same stone slabs both for the interior and exterior flooring. The cross-shaped metallic pillars are an homage to the elegant proportions of Miesian architecture. Openness was sought in all aspects of the design, to the external and nature and internally, amongst the living spaces for the family by creating visual connections. Design of the house focused also on the environment and the building’s ecological footprints have been reduced by creating a passive house. By combining natural light, architectural lighting systems and decorative lamps we gave personality to the different spaces of the house, enhancing them and making them comfortable according to their intended use. Interior decor is characterized by pure lines emphasized by a refined use of materials. The color palette, mostly dark but warm, of the vertical elements emphasizes the pitched roof. Mario Mazzer Architects captured the expressive potential of materials by creating new finishings for different spaces and uses. Calamine iron with wax finish, smoked oak, hand-cut granite, full-grain leather and brushed brass are characterized by the meticulous attention to details and the manual process to accentuate the elegance of craftmanship.