An interview with GaS Studio and Parisotto+Formenton Architetti, Italy

What makes your winning project Casa di Langa one of a kind?
The project approach is based on sustainability and a deep respect for the natural world. Partially built in the early 2000s on a property of vineyards, orchards and forests and left unfinished, the building’s redesign centers around the maximum reuse and adaption of the existing structures while completely reimagining the guest experience. The design was inspired by a profound respect for the region and its heritage and a desire for authenticity, combined with a contemporary twist in the details and extreme care in choosing materials and colors. Locally sourced and recycled materials, as well as other ecologically responsible choices were made to preserve and improve the site. An additional aspect of the approach was for a deeper link between the building and the earth – the aim was to embed the resort in the landscape through an architecture that visually communicates connection and harmony between the intervention of man and nature. People feel this special mood when they stay here.

What did you learn from this project?
Architecture is often a stage for prima donnas, it is not common and frequent to work together with colleagues from other studios on one project. In Italy in particular, where architectural firms are somehow still based on a traditional structure around the founder and his figure with a strong individualistic approach, it is not easy to join with others to work together with mutual enrichment and growth. But we strongly believe that this is the future of this profession, if we aim to get bigger and more important projects on an international stage. The team we created, enriched by our different backgrounds and specializations, and the choice to share any idea and address together any situation – despite the gross breakdown of tasks between interiors and architecture – has been our winning formula. We experience a real collaboration based on fruitful exchange and dialogue and we believe that the project itself gained a lot in quality. We feel that similar collaborations in our field – that bring also a lot in terms of human growth – should be always welcome, promoted, and supported as an intelligent way to successfully take full advantage of different expertise and shared ideas.

Architecture is often a stage for prima donnas, it is not common and frequent to work together with colleagues from other studios on one project.

What are you working on at the moment?
Many residential projects as the post pandemic scenario brought back house at the center of the stage.

What is your driving force?
A strong passion for what we do.

Any ideas you think should be front and center in the minds of architects?
Contemporary architecture is back to putting people at the center of the project, this is the route to follow, creating beauty for people, around people.