Fagagna is a small Italian village that is on the Borghi più belli d’Italia circuit, a private association that protects and promotes villages and hamlets of notable artistic and cultural value that are off the beaten tourist track and run the risk of abandonment or neglect. The Julian Pre-Alps panorama offers a backdrop to the village: sloping hillsides of oak and beech that are home to the Quadris Natural Oasis, where the white stork is being reintroduced and the hermit ibis is a protected species. Udine Golf Club, originally founded in 1970 to a design by English architect/golfer John Dering Harris, assisted by Venetian architect Marco Croze, nestles in this evocative natural setting. Later extensions and additions led to the construction of the Villaverde Hotel & Resort within the Golf Club’s confines. The most recent addition - The Lodge - comes from the engineers at Uppercut. This work consists of four gilded parallelepipeds that rise up as if suspended above the ground, aligned but offset in an east-west direction. Identical in form and dimension, the two-story-high buildings feature two main volumes that correspond to different living units. The smaller, lower level is characterized by concreteness and materiality. These units are finished in ebony black, to contrast with the glossy, luxurious finish of the upper volume, which juts out over the lower level on both eastern and western fronts. The different finishes unite at a mirrored surface that elicits a feeling of fluctuation. The strict, geometric elevations are repeated identically on all four buildings, albeit differing on each of their four sides. The southern face is completely blind, its purity offering pacing and transition between the colors and materials of the two volumes; this same closure is repeated on the north side at the lower level. In contrast, the upper level presents a unified, full-height opening. The west-facing elevation overlooks the countryside and the golf course, offering an unbroken expanse of glazing on both levels; on the lower level accommodation, the glazing opens to access a small patio. On the opposite side, the east-facing elevation features access to the units, on the upper level following the rhythm of three full-height openings. Internally, a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor and a more commodious apartment on the upper level have been designed to optimize space and offer the utmost flexibility to the people living there. Dividing elements appear like multifunction islands, as dismountable and foldaway structures; there is also an option to connect the two accommodation units, making the buildings versatile in the extreme. Afrormosia wood and satin-finished stainless steel were selected for the interiors to keep the living space elegant yet practical.
Location: Fagagna, località Villaverde, Udine
Client: Amil
Completion: 2017
Cost of Construction: 1,700,000 Euros
Design: UPPERCUT
Design Team: Filippo Burelli, Giacomo Borta
Consultants
Statics: Amsis
Mechanical plant: Alessandro Madonna
Electrical plant: Roberto Martinig
Green Design: Stefano Morsolin, Matteo La Civita
Suppliers
Concrete Works: Borgna Eric
Structural Metal Carpentry: Offma
Precast Concrete: Zanette
Metal Cladding: Mario Mucci
Door and Window Frames: Alunord
Mechanical and Electrical Plant: Grimel
Waterproofing: ZML
Interior Finish: EF Servizi e Appalti
Gardening: Battistella Golf
Metal Carpentry for Exterior Furniture: Carpenteria Furlano
Coverings and Sanitary Ware: Cambielli Edil Friuli
Lighting: Karboxx, iGuzzini
Painting: Conte Colori
Kitchen: RP Ambienti
Custom Furniture: Fabbro Arredi
Furniture: Moroso, Venezia Homedesign
Curtains: Mycore
Photography: © Massimo Crivellari
UPPERCUT
Uppercut is a practice founded by Filippo Burelli and Giacomo Borta, an eclectic duo of freelance engineers with a passion for Architecture & Design. “We design buildings, spaces and objects with passion and method, always seeking original solutions that make a difference. Our clients can rely on our determination and diligence to realize a shared project to deadline and to budget.” Their recent projects include the “pret-a- porter” vegeTable garden, their own idea that has been a great success. They are currently working on a new HUB, a garage for transport, shipping and logistics activities in Udine, and a residential complex in Fagagna.