CASA VIVAIO


Casa Vivaio is located in the first suburban area of the city of Formigine (MO). The building was originally
created as the workshop of the blacksmith Mauro Solmi, who built it in the 1970s next to his home. Following the transformation of the city, due to the increasing housing demand in the second half of the last century,
the area where the building is located progressively became more residential in character. The project took shape from the need to convert the blacksmith’s warehouse into a residence, adapting the spaces to their new function.

Type of intervention
Recovery of a building for artisanal use
Location
Formigine, Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Classification
Residential
Services
Architectural design and construction manager
Construction system
Structural intervention in r.c. and steel on the existing masonry
Size
260 sqm
Design year
2019
Construction year
2024
Photos
Fabio Bascetta
Video
Architettura Urbana
Awards & Recognitions
Architects Meet in Lecce 2024 // Hyperregionalism Selected Project
City’Scape 2025 // Paesaggio I-Tech Mention
Publications
Architettura Urbana // Video Intervista 2025
iSplora // Costruire Materia Viva video Intervista con Hydroplants 2025
IoArch 122 – Selected Project 2026
Products
PREFA standing seam metal roofing
METRA windows and doors
KNAUF interior insulation
ROCKWOOL exterior insulation
Partners
HYDROPLANTS Landscaping
MADRIGALI BECCARI Windows and Doors
GAL Sheet Metal Cladding
Type of intervention
Recovery of a building for artisanal use
Location
Formigine, Modena, Emilia Romagna, Italy
Classification
Residential
Services
Architectural design and construction manager
Construction system
Structural intervention in r.c. and steel on the existing masonry
Size
260 sqm
Design year
2019
Construction year
2024
Photos
Fabio Bascetta
Video
Architettura Urbana
Awards & Recognitions
Architects Meet in Lecce 2024 // Hyperregionalism Selected Project
City’Scape 2025 // Paesaggio I-Tech Mention
Publications
Architettura Urbana // Video Intervista 2025
iSplora // Costruire Materia Viva video Intervista con Hydroplants 2025
Products
PREFA standing seam metal roofing
METRA windows and doors
KNAUF interior insulation
ROCKWOOL exterior insulation
Partners
HYDROPLANTS Landscaping
MADRIGALI BECCARI Windows and Doors
GAL Sheet Metal Cladding

The design intention was not to alter the artisanal nature of the building, but to adapt it to new
residential needs. The living function blends with the former artisanal use and vice versa, projecting the
building into a new way of living, where spaces are interconnected and less rigid.

Working on existing buildings requires particular attention to the relationship between new and existing,
distinguishing between what has an explicit value and what holds a latent one. For Casa Vivaio, it was
essential to understand the existing building and the logic behind its construction, in order to uncover its
latent value and turn it into the cornerstone of the project. The artisanal spirit of the building has been
preserved by favoring a floor plan distribution that avoids rigid visual barriers, thus allowing multiple open
views.

The lot is almost entirely occupied by the building, which is why greenery has been placed inside the
architecture, by hollowing out its central part to create a large patio. The patio becomes a pause point
between the day and night areas, but at the same time it is the element that unites both spaces, allowing the
home to open towards a central core.

Privacy is nonetheless guaranteed by the greenery, which acts as a filter. The choice to preserve the roof beams in the patio makes it possible to read the original workshop structure both from inside and outside.

Behind the wall, three residential buildings are arranged to mirror the layout of the existing structure. Visually, the textural quality of the bricks contrasts with the simplicity of the living spaces, while the red-painted metal structures explicitly evoke the typical style of the area’s rural farm buildings.

The house is treated as a box: everything happens within it, and greenery takes on an architectural role,
becoming the heart of the dwelling with a specific significance in relation to the project as a whole.

Through this approach, in which the perception of the built environment is totalizing, the available space was fully
exploited to project greenery into the interior as well, establishing an in-and-out relationship between house and garden. The two environments are not strictly separated; rather, nature is brought inside.

Alongside the main building, small concrete additions have been created, retracing earlier extensions. These external volumes were reconstructed in exposed concrete and serve a dual function: externally they act as planters/hanging gardens, while internally they house the kitchen, bathrooms, and other service functions of the residence.

The desire to respect the nature of the building also guided the choice of materials. Inside, exposed
concrete, brick, and iron are used, creating a balanced synergy with the large glass surfaces. On the outside,
the predominant materials are dark exposed brick, sheet metal roofing, and exposed concrete, interspersed
with greenery that, as if it were a true construction material, is strategically placed to create continuity
between exterior and interior.

The materials used belong to tradition, but through new combinations they
generate a contemporary project.
Design choices also involved a careful study of the stratigraphy of walls and floors to improve the energy
performance of the existing structure. The building was insulated using an external brick-clad thermal coat, in
order to ensure thermal insulation without sacrificing the materiality of brick.

Pianta piano terra_ENG
Pianta piano primo_ENG