Priocca is a comune in the province of Cuneo in the Piedmont region of Italy. It is located 45 km from Turin, in a wine-growing area known worldwide for the Nebbiolo variety. It is a highly prized black grape from which quality wines are made that are suitable for ageing. Wines such as Nebbiolo d'Alba, Barbera d'Alba, Raero have long since crossed the borders of Italy and are known all over the world. In this special area is a wooden house from the Litarh, a portfolio in which Italy is very well represented.
Why the wooden house in Priocca
Because two technical issues caught my attention.
One is the interior staircase and how it was made. I will take this opportunity to debunk the arguments of those who believe that stairs with steps that appear to float are unsafe.
The second is that this wooden house doesn't look wooden at all. We're used to thinking when we talk about wooden houses that they wouldn't really fit in a city because the exposed wood makes them look like cottages or holiday homes. Not true! You can have a wooden house with different types of exterior finishes so that it fits perfectly into any setting, be it a big metropolis, a provincial town or a commune in a wine-growing area.
House plan
The house is made by Litarh in 2013 at the request of a company, so I can't tell you anything about the owners. It is a contemporary style house with ground floor, first floor and basement, positioned on a plateau made on the sloping land specific to the area. In the basement are the garage and the technical rooms.
On the ground floor there is the living room, the kitchen, a room - the laundry room - where the washing machine is located and there is space for drying, ironing and a bathroom. The living room is generous and bright, with a fully glazed wall including two sliding doors opening onto the terrace. The kitchen is not open plan but is separated from the living room by a sliding door. In Italy, kitchens that open onto the living room, such as American kitchens, are not popular. Probably the pleasure of cooking with lots of spices and pleasant-smelling herbs, which is a defining feature of Italian cooking, has meant that the kitchen remains in a space enclosed by four walls and a door.
Upstairs, reached by climbing a minimalist interior staircase, there are 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and an office. The master bedroom has its own bathroom and a lovely, wide, sweeping view of the vine-covered hillside and a few trees (thankfully in bloom during the photo shoot). The second bathroom has an entrance off the hallway and serves the second bedroom and office.
Stages of construction
After the plans had been discussed with the owner and the details of the house had been worked out, construction began. As usual the start means Valea Moldovei factory and the construction of prefabricated walls. The wall frames were made, the walls were cut OSB boardsThe ecological insulation made of wood fibre and the other materials needed for the construction were prepared. The walls were not completely made in the factory because the state-of-the-art equipment that now exists was not yet available. But much of the work was done in the country, with the rest to be done in Italy.
After the owner had confirmed that the foundation and all the necessary assembly work had been carried out, the house was loaded onto a lorry and sent to Italy. Here the construction started, the frames were assembled according to the plans, the wood fibre mattresses for insulation, the anti-condensation foil, the OSB were installed.
After the walls were assembled and insulated, the roof was added, also insulated with wood fibre and covered with galvanised sheeting. Finally the interior and exterior finishes were done. The construction, from the start of the works to the opening, took 5 months, and the part strictly related to the assembly (the actual construction of the wooden house) took one month.
Scara
It's time to tell you about the interior staircase that caught my eye. It is entirely made, construction and assembly, by Litarh. The steps in oak wood appear to be suspended between the wall and the glass parapet. Looking at them ready assembled you get the feeling that neither the wall, let alone the glass parapet, provides the necessary support points to make sure the ladder doesn't collapse under its own weight.
And yet the ladder is very safe and sturdy, the only possibility of it collapsing is with the house. The step connectors, each weighing between 8 and 10 kg, are attached directly to the house's load-bearing structure. What looks like a diaphanous float between the ground floor and the first floor is actually a very strong structure that is one piece with the house.
In order to provide safety without losing openness, brightness, it was chosen to protect it with a glass parapet highly resistant to mechanical shock and compression. It is special construction glass that does not involve any risk.
Facade
On the outside the house has a special wood fibre insulation layer, which can be plastered and finished. It was decided that the finish should not be the same throughout the house and that there should be a combination of both colours and materials to avoid monotony. So parts of the exterior wall surfaces were plastered and others were covered with ventilated galvanised sheeting. This means that the sheet was not mounted directly on the wall but on a support made of wooden battens (ashlars), 22 mm OSB and wood fibre. The board is spaced away from the wall so that air can circulate and the house is not at risk of mould or condensation.
The facade is a pleasant and balanced blend of tiled areas with tin and glass areas. The glass parapets of the terraces and windows brighten the house. The alternation between the white of the paint and the blue of the sheet metal gives the house a Mediterranean feel. From the outside, nothing tells you you're looking at a wooden house. But why would you want a wooden house if the wood doesn't show? Because these houses have a lot of advantages (which you'll find here) that you can benefit from even if you're one of those who think wood is only for cabins and mountain homes.
As I have said every time I have had the opportunity, Romanian builders manage to convince clients from other countries to entrust them with their projects thanks to their seriousness and professionalism. This is also the case of Litarh, the Liteanu family - father and son - and the whole team they have formed and with whom they build each house. Seriousness and professionalism is the recipe with which they have convinced in Italy, Germany, Norway, Francebut also in Romania. We are glad that there are such professionals and we enjoy promoting them.
the photos in the article are the property of Litarh
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