Italian DNA - A Suburban Home

This project began with the personal purchase of a property located in Greater La Plata (Argentina). The objective was to repurpose the house for personal use with my family (my wife and two daughters), while also incorporating an independent external dining area to host extended family and friends.

In terms of area, the lot measures 1,020 m² and the total built surface is 380 m² (including a single-car garage that was recently added, in accordance with the original design).

During construction, 70% of the existing structure had to be demolished due to foundation issues. However, I adhered strictly to the original design principles for the following reasons:

• Respect for the neighborhood environment

• Adaptation to the original configuration of the house

• Preservation (as much as possible) of the garden, plants, and trees

• Reinterpretation of the façade by seeking a unified architectural language based on the potential of the existing porch and its semicircular arch—repeated throughout to create galleries appropriate to this location.

This last principle, the consideration and reinterpretation of the porch and its original semicircular arch—was studied and adapted to a proportion that allowed me to use it as a design module. This module became the generative matrix for the layout of the various programmatic functions in response to the family’s needs.

Public, semi-public, and private areas were defined within a rational framework, using rationality as a tool. These zones share services, spatial and functional characteristics, integrating seamlessly without losing their individual identity.

These principles, initially established as design premises, evolved into a series of values that define the project's identity—through its architectural language, functional layout, and organization. All of this was approached (to the best of my abilities) with an appreciation for the Italian charm of suburban Renaissance architecture.

The proposal is a unified whole, grounded in the exercise of conservation, reinterpretation, and careful intervention—shaped by the education I’ve received and the roots I carry.