In the Roman neighborhood of Torre Maura, within a residential urban fabric characterized by curtain walls and small apartment buildings, PB House stands as a discreet yet decisive presence, capable of reinterpreting materials and languages of local construction tradition in a contemporary way. Designed by architect Francesca Pierucci, the project was developed within the framework of the 2009 “Casa Piano” (House Plan) and involves the demolition and reconstruction, with volumetric expansion and change of use, of two masonry garages.
Despite its modest size, the intervention adheres to strict constraints: setbacks from boundaries, adjacency to the main building, and volumetric limits shape the design vocabulary from which a small independent yet integrated building takes form. The new structure, built in reinforced concrete, rests on a travertine plinth, almost emphasizing its autonomous and foundational character, and is defined by a strong formal gesture: a flat roof that folds over itself, wrapping and intersecting the brick volume.
The choice of extruded bricks for the facade cladding enhances the dialogue with the surrounding urban context, characterized by 1950s and 1960s curtain-wall buildings. Their texture and color provide visual and material continuity, while simultaneously creating a dynamic contrast with the contemporary appearance of the envelope and the building’s geometry.
The roof, an iconic element of the project, is clad with crimped aluminum sheet metal: a choice both technical and poetic. The carefully crafted installation highlights the precision of the architectural design and the intention to deliver quality even to the smallest detail. This shiny, continuous metallic surface changes appearance with the light, adding depth and variability to the solid volume of the house.
The plan and volumetric articulation are essential, designed to achieve maximum functional efficiency within a limited lot. PB House thus appears as an extension of the main building but is, in fact, an autonomous unit—structurally and typologically capable of existing independently, with its own architectural identity.
The project demonstrates how even a small opportunity for urban regeneration can become a meaningful design act, capable of stimulating reflection on the quality of built space, the identity of places, and the possibility of reconciling regulatory constraints with architectural vision.
Francesca Pierucci is an architect with over ten years of experience in residential design, interior design, and custom furnishings. After graduating from La Sapienza University in Rome and collaborating internationally and nationally—including work with architect Carlos Ferrater in Barcelona—she launched her own professional practice. Currently, she is also a PhD student in the “Architecture. Theory and Project” program at La Sapienza, where she explores themes of contemporary living through a theoretical and design approach.
For more info: www.francescapierucci.it
CREDITS
Project: PB House
Architect: Francesca Pierucci Architecture + Interior Design
Location: Via Pietro Belon 88, Rome (RM), Italy
Year: 2021
Photography: Francesca Maiolino
