Building on existing structure is more complicated than building from scratch. In this garden on Como hills, the villa is placed on the edge of a large private park. During an initial garden rearrangement, AG&P greenscape has realized a pond of natural character. The pond was built in the lowest point of the property, as a perfect solution to resolve and exploit a natural water accumulation. The new client request was to place a large swimming pool, fully equipped, with a permanent covering, usable throughout the year. The challenge, far from simple, was to insert in the large garden, a structure that could contain the new pool without compromising the landscape.
The collaboration between the landscape designer Emanuele Bortolotti and architects Gianmatteo Romegialli proved success in the idea of working with the garden, integrating the new architectural element as an underground pavilion. Perfectly inserted in the landscape, hidden from the house, this solution allowed preserving the view on the surrounding garden and the forest.
To increase the integration between Nature and the new structure, the project aims to strongly connect the pool level with the pond, expanding and improving it. The choice of materials follows this idea of integration, with a gradual change from the artificial to the natural. From the structural concrete, to the stone walls, towards the wooden walkaway to the renovated pond, this gradual change reveals the tight bond between Architecture and Nature. Where at first was the pond, there is now a natural lake featuring the rocks, reeds and real life. On slopes it is tenuous, uniform patches of evergreen shrubs alternate with just few blooms. Near the pavilion stringer tonalities of perennials stand out among the grasses and the ash grey wall.