Amidst walnut trees a simple volume tunes in to the beauty of the surrounding nature

House in a Walnut Grove is a low-cost, durable home with a link to nature in very simple and proportionate forms

Tucked away between walnut trees and an open hay field, House in a Walnut Grove perfectly meets the wishes of the clients, who were met with care by the architects of Konkret Studio. The main objective was to reduce the floor area to a minimum, avoiding superfluous elements and leading the project to a strict spatial organization and optimisation of space

The practical and compact solutions resulted in a simple and proportionate volume with a pitched roof. The solid square plan offers an ideal connection between the living and private areas: the bedrooms are on the north side of the house, the living-dining room and kitchen are on the south. Although the kitchen and the living and dining room are physically separated, they have a strong visual connection

The quiet atmosphere and the desire for a simple life also determined the choice of materials: polished concrete floor, white plastered walls, oak furniture which blends in. Thanks to the simplicity of the spaces, family "relics" such as the restored yellow cupboard or the bench by the entrance inherited from the grandparents stand out

One of the biggest challenges of the project was the choice of cladding: the self-cleaning black corrugated slate acts as a perfect coat, enveloping the entire volume. Corrugated fiber-cement slate was chosen for its practicality, simplicity and robust character, unusually used in residential projects. This small black box blends perfectly into the calm and shady grove