Between past and present at Casa Ceschi

Casa Ceschi is an intriguing building located in Vicenza, Italy. What’s interesting about it is that it’s trapped between two very different periods. The house leans on the 12th century walls of the city of Vicenza but at the same time it tries to be part of the present. It 2010, the house has been restored. It was a project by Giovanni Traverso and Paola Vighy.

When restoring this building, the architects had to pay special attention to the walls and try to capture the essence of the existing structures and use it in the new design. The walls have been restored using traditional techniques. The interior of the building has been perceived as an independent project. The interior space has been redistributed and restructures in order to create a functional layout. Everything has been carefully restored while being faithful to the original design but also trying to adopt a sustainable approach.

The main objective of the architects was to create a lightweight structure that captures the essence of both past and present. They decided to use prefabricated elements and to include built-in high-tech systems in the design. The walls and the actual house are two different structures. While the walls remained almost intact, inside them a new structure has been designed. It features a lightweight frame system, prefabricated elements and sustainable materials. The building has class A insulation that uses compressed earth panels. It also has lots of wood features inside that allow for continuity to be created and for a cozy and warm atmosphere to exist.{found on archdaily and pics by Alessandra Chemollo}.