High above Unterinn am Ritten in northern Italy, a late-1970s single-family home is being expanded with a new addition set into a south-facing hillside at about 990 meters above sea level. Designed by Messner Architects, the project uses the remaining buildable volume allowed by local rules, placing the new construction below the existing house alongside an existing retaining wall.
The extension is a single-story volume that follows the contour of the slope and is connected to the original house through an underground passage. Inside, the plan centers on a living room with an integrated kitchen, with bedrooms and bathrooms arranged on either side. Large openings and floor-to-ceiling glazing are used to pull in the landscape and daylight, while a cantilevered ceiling shades the interior and terrace during summer months to help limit overheating.
For the masonry industry, the material story is straightforward and worth noting. The exterior expression comes from a combination of exposed concrete, natural stone masonry walls, and glass. That stone presence helps the new work sit comfortably in a rural setting shaped by dispersed, traditional farmhouses, while still reading as a contemporary intervention.
For mason contractors watching projects like this, the details are where the work is won or lost. A hillside addition tied into an existing home and retaining conditions means tight coordination across excavation, structure, and stone masonry scope. It also raises practical questions early, including how the stone coursing meets large glazing lines, how transitions are handled where concrete stays exposed next to stone, and how interior and exterior finish textures stay consistent from one trade to the next.
Inside, the palette continues the local approach, with rough plaster tinted using local stone aggregates, contrasted with chestnut and oak finishes and smoother plastered walls. It is a reminder that stone masonry can do more than “dress” a facade. It can set the tone for the whole building, inside and out.
Read the full, original article from Metalocus here.