Wooden extension in Bolzano. New living volume for energy efficiency

The extension carried out by the architect Manuel Benedikter in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, has made it possible to create an additional room with the purpose of a sleeping area on the ground floor, thus regularizing the layout of the building, which is now an almost perfect square

Wishing to enjoy the view of the valley below, the volume of the building has been excavated by creating a terrace accessible from the living area of the apartment on the first floor. The design idea is based on the archetypal shape of the house, clearly recognizable in the metal frame that binds it together and defines the new volume

On the ground floor the parents' apartment has been designed, while on the first floor there is a duplex which has become the residence of the son: the kitchen and living room are in direct connection with the terrace which can be accessed through double height windows that ensure the flatness between the external and internal floor; the sleeping area is located on the second floor, from the two bedrooms you can access a small terrace located above that of the first floor

All the existing walls have been insulated with a stone wool coating while the extension has been made with a wooden frame structure also insulated with the same coating as the existing structure

A further request from the client was to maintain the existing winter garden on the ground floor, which was recently expanded. The structure has been maintained and has become an integral part of the apartment on the ground floor and inside there is a large kitchen whose additional value includes the possibility of opening the sliding windows and directly accessing the garden in front of it

The whole building is supplied by the district heating system of the village, which provides both heating and hot water requirements. The latter has been further reduced thanks to the installation of a solar thermal system on the roof that covers about 70% of the consumption