Alps Villa, Lumezzane Building, Brescia Property, Italian Architecture Project, Alpine Home

Alps Villa in Lumezzane

Italian Building Project: New Home in Brescia, Italy – design by Camillo Botticini Architetto

20 Feb 2015

Alps Villa in Lumezzane

Location: Lumezzane, Brescia, Italy

Design: Camillo Botticini Architetto

Accoya®, the leading high performance modified wood manufactured by Accsys Technologies, has been used as cladding for a striking architect-designed Alps Villa located next to ‘Passo Del Cavallo’ in the hills of Brescia, Italy.

Designed by Camillo Botticini Architetto, Accoya was selected as it fulfilled the owner’s requirement for an eco-friendly property.

In addition to the use of Accoya for cladding, the house also contains a natural ventilation system and uses ecological building materials to ensure that the property reflects and blends into the surrounding landscape.

Accoya offers unrivalled environmental advantages which far outweigh the use of alternative products such as scarce, slow growing unsustainable hardwoods.

The product is carbon negative over its full life cycle, and is fully reusable and recyclable. Accoya has been recognised for its environmental standards worldwide by independent assessors, and Accsys Technologies holds a host of ecolabels to demonstrate the green credentials of Accoya.

While Accoya satisfies the owner’s environmental requirements, it is also strong and stable and can withstand a range of variable conditions. Brescia is situated at the foot of the Alps in northern Italy, which means that this Alpine villa faces humid conditions throughout the year, as well as high summer temperatures of up to 28°C.

As one of the most durable and stable products on the market, Accoya cladding is 75% less likely to shrink and swell as it faces damp foggy winters which can be as cold as -1.5°C, while in the summer its structural integrity remains intact as temperatures rise.

The durability and stability of Accoya helps to ensure that the product retains its aesthetic qualities, and provides a finish to the cladding which is natural and helps to integrate the property into its mountainous surroundings.

Camillo Botticini says: “I started working with the owners of the property in 2012, and it was clear that for this project the construction products used to build the villa had to provide a connection to the wider environment.

“While the design of the property was to be architecturally expressive and impactful, building materials such as Accoya offered an opportunity to build something which had little impact on the environment and would help it to blend in. Accoya works both by supporting the environmental objectives of the build, while also providing a strong, superior cladding which is able to withstand wet winters and hot summers with little maintenance compared to competitor products.”

Bryan Crennell, director of sales and marketing at Accsys Technologies said: “The property at Passo Del Cavallo is a stunning, contemporary building, and the use of Accoya has really helped to integrate the property into its natural surroundings.

“Accoya offers outstanding durability, and the owners of the property can expect their Accoya cladding to last at least 50 years and will require minimal maintenance. Accoya also offers superior resistance to UV degradation, and if coated, the beautiful, natural appearance will last much longer than other wood products due to its stability.”

Manufactured using Accsys Technologies’ propriety acetylation technology, Accoya is one of the most superior wood products on the market today. It performs to the highest of standards, delivering remarkable levels of stability, sustainability and durability. Exceeding the high-quality and aesthetic attributes of tropical hardwoods, Accoya also boasts excellent environmental credentials by using wood sourced from FSC® certified and sustainable forests.

Alps Villa in Lumezzane – Building Information

Location: Lumezzane, Brescia, Italy

Architectural Design: Camillo Botticini with ABDA

Collaborators: Ing. Paolo Dellana, Arch. Lucia Fanetti, Stefano Farina, Arch. Giorgia Guseo, Arch. Christina Tsompanoglou, Arch. Gerardo Ubeda

Structural Engineering: Ing. Franco Palmieri
MEP Engineering: Planex SRL
Landscape Design: Camillio Botticini with Abdarchitetti Botticini – De Appolonia e Associati
Construction Company: Baglioni Construzioni SRL, Gardone VT (BS)
Area: 360 sqm
Date: 2011-12
Construction: 2012-14
Status: Built
Program: Residential

Photographs: Nicolo’ Galeazzi