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Fabio Candido

Fabio Candido

Castagneto Carducci, IT

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Apartment in Pisa

This work is an occasion to meditate on negative space. The design scheme is based on the transformation of void as a matter suitable to define a renovated living system trough an accurate design program.

The apartment is located in a building from 1960s, in a middle-class district, city of Pisa. The former arrangement of rooms is the expression of the living habits related to the age when the building was constructed. The rooms are sorted for living rituals still deducible even though the passing of time: entrance, kitchen, pantry, "salotto" - a clean separation between day and night zones. 

The work on empty space - aimed at simplification of the space - find its counterpoint in the frequent adoption of the figure-ground perception theme as method of arrangement of architectonical elements. It is possible to see that looking at the marble block arrangement in relation to the furnished wall behind, or considering the connection between the door to the night area and the entrance room behind it. 
In both cases are not privileged strictly defined observation points. In this way, the continuous variation of the relation within architectonical elements associated to an observer moving into the architectonical space, becomes expression of design premises.

That is realized through a functional element - including kitchen's furniture and spaces - arranged as an independent block. This block hosts, in the backside, some hidden service rooms. The work on materials and colors - brushed and grey lacquered ash wood - emphasize the perception of the block, completed by a worktable with a clearly legible mass.

Within this composition, the stone's selection - Carrara white marble and bardiglio imperiale - is related not just to the chromatic balance of architectonical elements, but also looking to an traditional way of using those marbles.

On the other side of the living room an inclusive furniture hosts the bookshelf whit the conversation area that integrate the entrance door.

The passage to the night zone is obtained through a hole on the clean wall. The transition between day and night zones is realized with a small but proportioned entrance.

 
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Status: Built
Location: Pisa, IT
My Role: Designer principal
Additional Credits: sundaymorning, Massimo Fiorido Associati