This modern family house is guarded by two impressive brick walls, creating an avant-garde architectural appearance while resembling the city’s heritage from the Middle Ages.
In the historic town of Cittadella, near Padua in Italy, stands Casa P+E+3, a family residence that bridges centuries of architectural tradition with modern design. The key material choice adds an architectural statement to the private villa: Designed by Caprioglio Architects, the use of brick – inside and outside – became the central motif of the house’s narrative.
From outside, the villa protects itself from unwanted views by two almost monumental walls of exposed brick. The L-shaped wall hides a more transparent villa. Big windows and generous green spaces are to be found behind the brick custodian, which itself becomes an attractive part of the appearance.
The walls do more than protect privacy, they frame the entire identity. Proportions and rhythm echo the medieval fortifications that encircle the city of Cittadella, yet the strict execution is contemporary with elongated, slender terracotta units that emphasize the villa’s horizontality. Awarded multiple times in the year 2021, the villa is a poem to durability, sustainability, and elegance, while staying rooted in its historic environment.
For architect Filippo Caprioglio, terracotta is a material with limitless potential, very much suitable for avant-garde architecture. The architect chose the SanMarco’s MAAX. The MAAX (Mattone Artistico e Architettonico eXtralarge) is an “extra-large artistic and architectural brick” that offers expressive possibilities of terracotta while meeting the technical requirements for contemporary creations.
Crafted in extra-slender dimensions of up to 49 cm length and only 4 cm height, they deliver a refined aesthetic that enhances the architectural lines. With subtle variations in tone and a distinctive waterstruck finish, the material lends the building a tactile richness that shifts with the light of day. Green architecture is also embedded in the design: bio-walls on two façades, together with a planted roof over the portico, bring vegetation into the composition. These living elements temper the rigor of the terracotta and introduce a sense of vitality to the residence.
Brick does not stop at the threshold. Walkways, staircases, and vantage points are aligned to keep the material always in view, weaving a visual continuity between interior and exterior spaces. Its repetition turns the brick into a stylistic constant, binding the villa into one coherent whole.
While the northern and eastern walls are solid and protective, the southern and western façades open generously onto the private garden. Large windows connect the villa not only with its spacious garden, but with views to the medieval ramparts and Porta Bassano, creating a conversation between the villa and its historic setting.
Get in contact with us
.jpg)
.jpg)