Architecture
(1969/2009)
Architecture means using quality techniques such that structures last in time... creating simple spaces made with noble raw materials: stone, cement, wood, water... in their most natural state without unnecessary refining or added sophistications... Spaces that are simple and open, comfortable, respectful of nature, the air, the winds, the sun as it rises and sets... the Earth is where architecture happens, its colors and its quality.
Architecture means seeking the pleasure of vision in images and colors, many colors... in drawings, in murals, in art, in the materials themselves... The pleasure of touching noble materials, wood, stone and fabrics, the coolness of water and the shade of trees. Scents carried on breezes, the pleasure of immersing oneself in the aroma of a homemade meal wafting from the kitchen and filling the air... the sound of silences... the sound of laughter... the sound of birds singing, a barking dog... the sounds of nature... sounds, smells, light and warmth from a crackling fire.
Architecture means learning from nature, from the space where we exercise the profession of architect... learning from the inhabitants and artisans of that place. From the wise men and women of the village we learn wisdom and acceptance.
Architecture means learning to use what the earth produces, down to the simplest things... it means learning by working with the natural world, taking advantage of the space she concedes us to experiment, without harming her.
Architecture means putting technology at the service of men and women, without letting it enslave us; technology that is there, in the architectural space when we need it, and only when we need it... and it must be the best technology for communicating, transporting, relaxing, and supporting the level of comfort we desire... technology that facilitates the creation of art, literature, science, without sacrificing space... In short, technology that allows us to achieve the highest possible quality of life with the means and materials at our disposal.
I would like to work with those who share a belief in the values I try to express in the spaces I create... values like peace, happiness, love, a joy of living... and, of course, humour... I like knowing how to laugh at what I do to take away any excess of seriousness.
I would like to be able to create this architecture fluidly, without stress... this is why I continue to paint and to cook, because my pictures are for those walls (when there are walls) and the food is for those people who will live within those walls...
There are so many people in the hard drive of my subconscious giving me suggestions and instructions. First and foremost are all of those unnamed “architects” who built the villages of Santorini, of northern Morocco, of Tuscany, of Andalucía, of the Caribbean islands... people who built according to the needs and resources of their place, and without architects!
Really, my architecture is about places where we will spend the hours of our life, where our children will play, where we will give free reign to our creativity, where we will make love, where we will be alone and where we will be with others, where we will follow our own style, unique for each and every one of us...
Daniele
By clicking on the six images below, you can enter six galleries showing some of my work: Four galleries are images from a single project. One gallery is a medley of projects. The final gallery illustrates how I transformed a house from a nondescript house of the '60s to a seaside villa by means of redesigning small details.
