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Repurposed Natural Stone Walls Framing Community Guest Houses in Italy

Authors:
Celine Schmitz, Viviane Hohensee, Daria Chykova, Nadine Gest
Repurposed Natural Stone Walls Framing Community Guest Houses in Italy

Project in-detail

Repurposed natural stone walls create a distinctive framework for community-focused guest houses, offering a serene retreat that integrates modern living with the Italian landscape.
5 key facts about this project
01
Repurposed natural stone walls incorporate materials from demolished structures on the site.
02
Each guest house features large glazing for enhanced views of the surrounding landscape.
03
Private terraces are designed to frame nature while providing sheltered outdoor space.
04
The shed roofs slope toward a central courtyard to reinforce community interaction.
05
The layout encourages both social gatherings and individual privacy among guests.

The Tili Wine Italy Guest Homes are located in a beautiful part of Italy, designed to create a peaceful and inviting haven for visitors. Combining community engagement with private spaces, the design centers around a wine tasting house surrounded by five guest houses. This arrangement allows guests to socialize while still enjoying their own privacy in a calm countryside setting.

Community Atmosphere

The layout encourages connections among guests while ensuring individual comfort. The five guest houses are placed at slightly different angles to each other, which helps maintain privacy even in close proximity. In the center, the wine tasting house acts as a gathering spot where visitors can enjoy meals and tastings together, fostering a friendly community spirit.

Relationship with Nature

Large windows in the guest houses help to bring the outside in. These openings provide clear views of the surrounding landscape, allowing natural light to fill the spaces. Each guest house includes its own private terrace, framed to highlight the picturesque views of nature. This connection to the environment enhances the overall guest experience, encouraging relaxation and enjoyment.

Use of Local Materials

The project thoughtfully incorporates materials that reflect the local context. Stones from previously existing structures are repurposed into a natural stone wall that runs throughout the site. This feature serves not only as a boundary but also connects the new construction with the area's historical roots, creating a meaningful link between the past and present.

Design Simplicity

The structure features shed roofs that slope toward the central courtyard. This design choice emphasizes the community aspect while also drawing attention to shared areas. The overall forms are simple yet effective, representing a modern take on traditional Italian styles. This connection to established architectural elements adds to the project's character.

The arrangement of the guest houses and their thoughtful design details create an environment that encourages guests to enjoy both shared experiences and personal moments in the tranquility of the Italian landscape.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
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