Neurodivergent Villa in Padova

Turning an old Italian villa into the dream refuge for a neurodivergent couple and their teenage daughter.

This old villa in Padova is home to a neurodivergent couple and their teenage daughter. The existing plan had a kitchen, an atrium, a dining and living room, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Our task was to reorganise the house around the way the family lives. We redrew the floor plan, divided it into zones and drew sections through the building. We also chose the colours and materials, from clay plaster for the walls to the furniture of the master bedroom.

Location
Padova, Italy
Wall finishes board with three clay plaster samples above a floor plan and two building sections, AA′ and BB′.

Gallery

3D visualisation of a master bedroom with a four-poster bed and two rust armchairs, beside its plan.
Master bedroom collage: a canopy bed, two burgundy velvet armchairs, a wall of bookshelves and herringbone parquet samples.

Design decisions

The new plan divides the house into three zones.

In the Zona Notte, the night zone, the master bedroom sits between a walk-in closet and a master bathroom with a freestanding bath. In the Zona Giorno, the day zone, an open kitchen with an oval dining table connects to the living room. A pantry and wine cellar, a laundry, a bathroom and a small fitness room sit close by, and a second bedroom lies next to the entrance. The Zona Focus is set apart, with its own stair, and holds an office and an art room. That way, concentrated work has its own place, away from the rhythm of daily life. In the master bedroom, two armchairs face the bed, and the style concept brings together a canopy bed, a wall of bookshelves and oak parquet. For the walls we chose clay plaster from BC Materials in three tones: brown, cream and red. The sections show how the rooms sit under the pitched roof and across the levels of the house.

Drawings

Client floor plan of a home with a garden, before redesign.
A.R.P. Studio floor plan of the same home, with a new furniture layout.
Rendered A.R.P. Studio floor plan in warm tones, showing furniture and materials room by room.
Rendered villa plan: master suite with bath, bedrooms, a kitchen with oval dining table, a living room and a detached block.
Floor plan split into night, day and focus zones, labelling master bedroom, walk-in closet, kitchen, office and art room.
The villa's existing floor plan above its redesigned plan, with labelled rooms such as kitchen, fitness room and office.
Section drawing of a villa under a pitched roof, cutting through a bathroom, wardrobes, a stair and a kitchen.
Section drawing of a villa under a pitched roof, cutting through bedrooms, a stair and a room with an arched opening.
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