Casa Conte, designed by Messner Architects, unfolds as a discreet and carefully measured extension, capable of integrating into the natural context without altering its visual balance. Set on a south-facing slope at an altitude of 990 meters above the village of Auna di Sotto on the Renon plateau, a residential building dating back to the late 1970s is expanded through an intervention that interprets the relationship between architecture, topography, and the Alpine landscape.
The extension takes the form of a single-storey volume, almost imperceptibly embedded into the morphology of the hillside. Within a cultural landscape marked by scattered rural buildings, the new construction follows the natural contours of the terrain, avoiding any dominant formal gesture. The original house and the extension are connected underground, invisibly from the outside, ensuring functional continuity and maximum privacy for the residents. Inside, the new residential unit is organized around a central living area with kitchen, flanked laterally by bedrooms and a bathroom. The spatial configuration derives directly from the topography and requires a precise response to solar orientation. A deeply projecting roof protects the interior spaces and the terrace in front from direct sunlight during the summer months, reducing the risk of overheating. Full-height glazing facing outward dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior, visually extending the living space toward the mountain landscape.
The architectural expression of the building relies on an essential material palette consistent with the context: exposed concrete, natural stone masonry, and glazed surfaces define the exterior appearance. Inside, the atmosphere is shaped by the contrast between rough plaster pigmented with aggregates of local rock and the use of chestnut and oak wood for floors, ceilings, doors, and bespoke elements. These materials dialogue with smooth plastered surfaces, ceramic finishes, and monochromatic furnishings, giving rise to sober, tactile spaces in which the constructive component becomes an integral part of the living experience.
CREDITS
Project: Casa Conte
Studio: Messner Architects
Location: Auna di Sotto, Renon (BZ), Italy
Year: 2021–2025
Photography: Karina Castro
