Gentle genius: bright red jeweled facade slashes Italian home’s energy use

This faceted house in southern Italy looks like a glittery red jewel. Architect Giacomo Garziano renovated the house which his grandfather built in the 1950s by adding a new facade that unifies two disparate parts of the house and improves its energy efficiency.

Inspired by light and sound waves, the architect's Amsterdam-based studio GG-loop came up with a design that makes the building stand out from its surroundings and provides optimal insulation.The house, named Gentle Genius, is located on a corner lot in Altamura in southern Italy, and currently accommodates the Italian office of art collective Elephants and Volcanoes, as well as the residence of Garziano’s parents. The three-dimensional outer surface uses the contrast between light and shadow to create a sculptural effect in order to stand out.

“We wanted the building to vibrate over the whole day, turning from red to blue thanks to the glossy finishing, and from red to gold thanks to the more subtle golden vibrations of the glitter,” said Garziano.

The facade features an extra layer of insulation and finishing system (EIFS) that includes solid panels that make up the tessellating diamond shapes. Thanks to this extra layer, the facade has excellent insulating properties and retains heat to reduce the building’s energy consumption.The interior was kept in its original state, with the exception of the office spaces and a small renovated area that was converted into a guest apartment. This space features geometric patterns similar to the facade and Voronoi geometric forms that combine furniture and storage areas.