Cerro, Laveno Mombello (VA) – piazza Manzoni

Project Concept

The renovation project was driven by the desire to create a holiday home for the owners, with the additional possibility of using it as a B&B. The design approach focused on preserving the original finishes – such as the stone staircase, the stone floors, the cement and terracotta tiles, as well as the wooden ceilings – while integrating them with modern structural and plant-engineering solutions.

Interior Layout

Originally, the house – of ancient construction – featured three entrances from the surrounding pedestrian streets and was divided into three rooms per floor, each served by a bathroom.
The renovation plan provided on the ground floor a single main entrance, the complete renovation of the existing bathroom, the conversion of the large room into the B&B kitchen, and the transformation of another space into a garage. The former storage room adjacent to the kitchen was converted into a technical room.
On the first floor three independent bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, were created. On the second floor we find the owners’ apartment, consisting of two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a large open-plan kitchen and living area. The recovery of the attic space made the interiors brighter and more spacious.

Materials and Elevations

On the ground floor, the original beola stone and cement tile floors were preserved, while the first floor retained its terracotta floors in one of the bedrooms and two bathrooms. The existing cement floors were treated with a special epoxy coating. Only the second floor features new wooden plank flooring.
The wooden ceilings were maintained and reinforced with anthracite-grey painted steel beams. In the entrance, the removal of deteriorated plaster revealed portions of stone masonry, deliberately left exposed.
The façades were restored and plastered, with painted frames highlighting the existing openings. To comply with current regulations, two new windows were added on the second floor.

Building Services

To minimize invasive interventions and preserve the historic flooring, one-meter-high plasterboard partitions were created in each room, serving both as service cavities for the installations and as headboards for the beds.
The heating system was realized with radiators: some of the pipes in copper were left visible as a technical-decorative feature, while others were integrated into the partitions.
The building services include a condensing boiler, a heat pump for domestic hot water production, and a photovoltaic system, ensuring energy efficiency and sustainability.