Every immigrant has a story to tell. This villa is the result of one of those stories. Edda and Floriano, one day walked into my office as if we had known each other all of our lives. In a most uniquely familiar manner, they spoke of their interest in building a new home for themselves and if I would be interested in designing it.
There was a friendly disposition about them. They sketched out a summary about their journey from the Treviso area of Italy to Canada via New York. The iconic cardboard suitcases, the years of tribulations with more than their share of not being welcomed in the new world. The hard work that gave them, in time, hope and a sense of freedom and they wanted to express this in their new home.
The novelty of their life in Canada, respect for their cultural background and the lot on a hill were of paramount importance to them. The site they owned was part of a new development with similar houses on both sides of the street. They selected it because is located at the highest point of the subdivision. From here they could look out to the westward horizon and with their imagination travel to the Piazza deiSignori in Treviso.
I sensed feelings and dreams. They did not speak quantitatively. Not a word about the number of bedrooms or bathrooms,nor of hundreds and hundreds of square metres of space. They concentrated instead on quality, craftsmanship and light. Listening to them was for me as if I was being invited to a most sumptuous, home-cooked meal accompanied by an unlabelled good wine. I accepted the invitation to design their house.
Within a few days, I visited the site and the concept of an open space, defined by house and pavilions began to take place. I was often invited to where they lived and observed their interactions with one another. As the design evolved, so too did our relationship from client/architect to friend.
While in New York, Floriano worked in construction and became knowledgeable about concrete.Once in Canada, he switched to working with wood. I incorporated his love of materials and craftsmanship into the design of the house. Olive wood, for example, on the dining floor and strips inserted in the stringers and threads of the open staircase.
Their only extravagant request was an outdoor swimming pool. I suggested solar panels for heating the pool’s water and Floriano enthusiastically agreed. Half of the underground perimeter of the pool became a ‘cantina’ and the other half an archery range.
Edda became enamoured with the bedrooms, with their exterior and interior windows. Internal balconies overlooking the skylit atrium reinforced the family’s togetherness. They transmitted their love of one another to the design and made it home. The resulting product was a volumetric mirror of their life.
