Inside and outside: living on the threshold
In the work of And Studio Architects, the relationship between interior and exterior is never left to a simple glass opening. It is rather a compositional theme that involves light, landscape, material, and the way spaces are traversed. The threshold thus becomes a livable place: not a line of separation, but a passage area capable of relating home, nature, and perception.
Villa Benchakroun, in Morocco, interprets this relationship through the contrast between the compactness of the upper volume and the transparency of the ground floor. The large glass surfaces dissolve the boundary of the living area, allowing vegetation, the pool, and the sky to enter the domestic life. The kitchen and living room extend towards the garden, while natural light flows through spaces with neutral tones and tactile surfaces. The exterior is therefore not a backdrop, but a continuous presence that changes the atmosphere of the house throughout the day.
A Palazzo San Jacopo, in the historic center of Lucca, the relationship with the outside takes on a more urban, intimate, and selective character. The windows become true frames through which to observe the rooftops, trees, historical fabric, and the watercourse that runs through the city. Arched openings, window frames, iron grilles, and small balconies create a succession of filters that protect the intimacy of the interiors without interrupting the visual relationship with the surroundings.
In this case, the exterior does not enter the house through complete transparency, but through calibrated glimpses. The light shapes the deep recesses of the windows, reflects on the floors, and highlights the geometry of the historical elements. The panoramic terrace also expands the inhabited space towards the urban landscape, offering an open view of the rooftops of Lucca and the surrounding hills. The restoration of the building thus adds value to the existing openings, transforming them into privileged observation points of the city.
In Villa Tia, located in Bientina, the relationship with the outside is born from the morphology of the land and the construction of the viewpoint. The night area is integrated into the natural slope, while the volume of the day area extends along the east-west axis and becomes a true visual telescope towards the valley. The internal spaces capture images, light, and colors of the countryside, transforming the landscape into an integral part of the architectural composition.
Three projects, three complementary interpretations: dissolving the boundary, inhabiting the threshold, framing the landscape. In each case, interior and exterior participate in a single organism, where architecture does not merely occupy a place but builds deep relationships with its surroundings. For And Studio Architects, to inhabit also means this: to perceive the changing light, to traverse intermediate spaces, and to recognize nature as an essential component of the domestic experience.
