Residenza Le Querce: where materials, landscape, and continuity meet
In the territory of Casciana Terme Lari, among the hills of Valdera, the project by And Studio Architects interprets the theme of contemporary living through an intervention capable of dialoguing with the scale and character of the Tuscan landscape. Vineyards, olive groves, tree-lined avenues, and small villages define a context in which architecture is called to integrate discreetly, enhancing the views, light, and morphology of the land.
The intervention is divided into four lots, organized into two four-family buildings and two two-family buildings, totaling twelve high-quality residences. The urban planning aims to achieve a balance between building density and the quality of open space: the volumes are arranged to create pathways, gardens, and domestic thresholds that ensure privacy, interaction, and continuity with green areas.
The project looks at Italian architecture of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the teachings of Renzo Bellucci, a significant figure for the territory of Pontedera. From this matrix derive the compositional rigor, the clarity of the facades, and the attention to materials, reinterpreted through a contemporary and measured language.
Exposed bricks, plaster, concrete, and wood play both a constructive and expressive role. The brickwork adds depth and durability to the surfaces, the light plaster lightens the volumes, the concrete precisely defines roofs and overhangs, while the wood introduces warmth into threshold spaces. The different textures react to natural light and create a tactile, understated, and recognizable architecture.
Each residence is designed as a unified organism, where the living area, garden, loggias, terraces, and balconies flow seamlessly without interruptions. The openings enhance the perception of domestic spaces and promote a constant relationship with the landscape. Even fences, pedestrian pathways, vehicular access, and parking are integrated into the overall design, ensuring that functional elements do not appear separate from the architectural quality of the whole.
The project thus creates a new residential fragment rooted in Valdera: a place where local memory and contemporary life coexist, and where living means rediscovering a direct relationship with light, greenery, and the slower rhythm of the Tuscan countryside.
