Former Ceccanti Foundries: From Industrial Heritage to a New Way of Living
In Vallicelle, the regeneration project for the former Ceccanti Foundries area stems from the desire to transform a disused production site into a new residential development, while preserving the industrial character that defined its identity.
The project involves the demolition of the former foundry building and the reuse of the adjacent spaces to accommodate new residential buildings designed in the contemporary loft style. Three different typologies, featuring monopitch, gable, and vaulted roofs, create a complex yet coherent whole, capable of reinterpreting the forms and proportions typical of industrial architecture.
Brick becomes one of the project's key materials and the common thread between memory and modernity. Used on the facades, vertical volumes, and interior spaces, it restores materiality to the architecture and interacts with light-colored plaster surfaces, dark metal windows, and large glass surfaces. The result is a balance between solidity and transparency, between the industrial character of the building envelope and a warmer, more welcoming domestic dimension.
Large openings are another key element. Floor-to-ceiling windows, windows punctuated by metal frames, and double-height spaces bring natural light into the rooms, reinforcing the continuity between the house and the garden. The interiors are conceived as large, flowing spaces, where exposed beams, sloping roofs, brick vaults, and fireplaces become architectural elements that define the identity of each home.
The landscape also contributes to the design. Gardens, pergolas, courtyards, paved surfaces, and vegetation complement the various volumes, creating a sequence of private and semi-open outdoor spaces that extend the living experience beyond the built perimeter.
Research into materials, finishes, and details thus takes on a crucial role: not as a simple aesthetic choice, but as a tool for preserving the memory of the place and transforming it into a contemporary language.
The project for the former Ceccanti Foundries interprets regeneration as an opportunity to build a new identity without erasing the previous one. A productive past that is not reproduced literally, but transformed into material, proportion, and atmosphere, giving shape to a new way of inhabiting the landscape.
