Rural geometries. Villa Modda between memory and landscape

An ancient drying kiln in the heart of the Val di Noto becomes the focal point of an architectural project that intertwines stone, rubble, and terracotta, returning to the landscape an architecture capable of dialoguing with nature and its essential geometries.

Among the scents of Val di Noto

Immersed in the Sicilian countryside, Villa Modda, designed by depaolidefranceschibaldan architetti, takes its name from a typical plant of the area, symbolizing the deep connection with the Mediterranean landscape. The project stems from the recovery of an agricultural ruin with a double-pitched roof, preserved and integrated with contemporary volumes featuring clean and rigorous lines. The intervention does not alter the memory of the place, but renews it, intertwining material and form in a silent yet powerful narrative.

A axis between memory and function

The ancient stone drying rack comes back to life as a symbolic trace at the entrance of the villa, evoked by a circular platform in concrete. From here, a pedestrian axis develops that guides the crossing of spaces, separating the living area - open towards the pool and the landscape - from the more intimate and secluded sleeping area. The new volume, covered in brown cocciopesto, dialogues with the rough Noto stone of the original ruin, evoking the earth, carob trees, and the sun that shapes the volumes with changing lights and shadows.

Material and light as design tools

At the heart of the living area is a central volume clad in yellow glazed terracotta tiles, housing the kitchen and fireplace. This element serves as a spatial and chromatic organizer, radiating warmth and character. The iron grilles regulate ventilation and natural light, transforming the villa into a living organism capable of opening up or isolating itself according to the seasons and needs. The outdoor spaces amplify the relationship with the landscape, thanks to pergolas and outdoor dining areas.

A bioclimatic and sustainable project

The infinity pool in emerald green mosaic blends with the shades of the countryside, fitting lightly into the hilly context. Villa Modda is part of a broader project of rural recovery, aimed at giving new life to the agricultural ruins of the Val di Noto, through an approach that respects the identity of the place and adopts natural materials and traditional technologies. A silent and conscious architecture that rewrites the landscape without erasing it, strengthening the idea of architecture projects in symbiosis with nature.

Gallery

PEOPLE

depaolidefranceschibaldan architetti

Via Giordano Bruno, 26, 35124 Padova PD, Italia