Where the water reflects the light. Architecture in balance.

"Water, light, and fire in the fireplace are natural, living, and vital elements, innate in human nature, that when placed in the artificial context of the home offer sensations and emotions to those who live there."

Living elements for psychophysical well-being

Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom: a simple molecule, but fundamental for life. Water is not only a vital resource for the human body, but also a powerful medium for emotions and well-being. The sound of lapping, the ever-changing reflections on the surface, the encounter with light... like the crackling of fire or the rays of the sun, these natural elements awaken the most intimate part of our being. When consciously introduced into the architectural project, curated by Antonio Guarneri Architetto, they become an integral part of living and spatial narrative, transforming into the stylistic signature of those who use them.

Water as Architectural Material

Since ancient civilizations, the connection between architecture and water has been central: just think of the Roman aqueducts, cisterns, gardens with fountains, or Arab-inspired courtyards. Living near or on water has always been an ancestral desire, which is now renewed with a new environmental awareness. Bioclimatic architecture recognizes the value of water not only as an aesthetic presence but also as a resource to be respected, recovered, and used for natural cooling or for the domestic cycle.

Three ways to inhabit water

In the architectural projects of Antonio Gualtieri, water is always rainwater, collected and reused in three forms: the water mirror, which reflects the sky and caresses the glass, isolating a wooden raft where you can have lunch in the summer; the natural pond, with a clay bottom, oxygenating plants, water lilies, and koi carp; and the swimming pool, always fed by rainwater, kept clear with mineral salts. In all cases, water is not just decoration, but a living part of the project, capable of influencing the microclimate, sound, and light. Even a small pool can provide the sensory pleasure of the liquid element.

Light as a design material

Even light is a living and mutable presence. Understanding its intensity, angle, temperature, and behavior in different seasons allows for shaping space. Zenithal, grazing, filtered, or reflected light becomes a creative tool. Nothing is left to chance: the position of windows, shading devices, orientation of spaces. Each space finds its natural light, in harmony with its function and the time of day. During the day, the house is crossed by luminous beams that accompany its life; at night, the windows turn into lanterns, reflecting the architecture's lines on the water and shifting the center of emotion towards the outside. These realizations, called Villas of Light, fully embody this dialogue between space and light, natural and artificial, interior and exterior.

Gallery

PEOPLE

Antonio Guarneri Architetto

Via L. da Vinci, 6, 33030 Basaldella UD, Italia