Casa Bendico / Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architectes

Architects: Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architectes
Photographs: Sergio Grazia
Category: Houses
Design Team: Gaëtan Le Penhuel
Environmental and Technical Engineering Consulting Company: Albert et Compagnie
Project Manager of Execution: 18 Lab. Syracuse
Construction Engineer: Giorgio Linguanti. Modica.
Country: Italy

Casa Bendico, designed by Gaëtan Le Penhuel Architectes in the Val di Noto Hills of Sicily, reinterprets rural Sicilian vernacular to create a bio-climatic, energy-independent home that blends into its seismically active and fire-prone landscape. Inspired by local farmhouses, the house employs a double-shell structure made of shuttered cast concrete, incorporating red and brown pozzolan from Mount Etna to echo the tones of surrounding soil. The exterior shell resists climate extremes while the interior maintains a stable temperature. A passive cooling system based on thermal wells distributes underground cool air through cast-iron piping to all rooms. The interior features oak paneling, untreated travertine furnishings, and sliding moucharabieh louvers for shade and security. A central east-west axis connects a large living space with three bedrooms, optimizing light and air flow. Outdoor patios and terraces, including an open-air kitchen and shower, offer seasonally adaptive living areas with views of the sky, hills, and sea. A secondary unit with a mobile interior setup serves as a studio or guest room, completing the dwelling’s climate-responsive layout.

Casa bendico / gaëtan le penhuel architectes

The house was conceived to be soft, comfortable, welcoming, and self-sufficient, while remaining respectful of its environment in every aspect. Buildings constructed on the Val di Noto hills are required to integrate into the landscape without overpowering it. Situated in a seismically active area that is also vulnerable to wildfires during dry seasons, this villa underwent a careful material selection process to ensure it would be safe, thermally comfortable, and remain cool even when temperatures reach 40 °C (104 °F).

Instead of choosing an international-style, white cubist design, the architects took inspiration from local farm buildings. These structures, heavy, mineral in composition, and coated with cement, integrate naturally into the forested hills. The overall atmosphere of the house is shaped by the use of artisanal cast concrete, which gives it a rustic quality. A shuttered concrete double-shell system was selected to provide thermal comfort for this bio-climatic, energy-independent dwelling. The external shell faces the region’s extreme weather conditions, while the internal shell maintains a nearly constant indoor temperature. To harmonize the structure with the warm hues of the surrounding soil, red and brown pozzolan from Mount Etna were incorporated into the formulation of the low-carbon concrete.

Due to the building’s high thermal inertia, a passive Puits provençal system, also known as thermal wells, delivers continuous and gentle ventilation throughout the house. Cool air, drawn from the stable underground temperature at a depth of two meters and channeled through a long cast-iron pipe, is circulated into every room. Ceiling fans in the bedrooms offer extra comfort. All interior spaces are designed to extend seamlessly into the outdoors. The house, which includes a spacious living room and three bedrooms, is organized along a central east-west axis that highlights the changing quality of sunlight throughout the day. The concrete shuttering, crafted by local artisans, is paired with natural oak paneling that conceals doors and cabinets. Double sliding moucharabieh louvers filter and control direct sunlight while offering protection against intrusion. Large, untreated travertine pieces sourced from the quarries of Lazio near Rome are used for much of the interior and exterior furniture, allowing the natural beauty of the grey sedimentary limestone to be fully expressed.

The numerous outdoor spaces are designed to be used according to the season, offering opportunities to enjoy varied views of the sky, countryside, sea, and mountains. The entrance patio includes an outdoor kitchen accompanied by the sound of a fountain, which also enhances hygrometric comfort during the summer. A second patio serves as the location for an outdoor shower. This mineral-rich open-air space functions as a natural extension of the two bathrooms. A large southeast-facing terrace shields the bay windows of the bedrooms and living room from direct sunlight. Generously proportioned in depth and width, the terrace also serves as an extension of the interior living areas. Its structure contrasts solid pillars with a lightweight arbor covered in local canisses. A small secondary building with its own arbor completes the outdoor arrangement. Outfitted with movable tables and beds, this space can be easily adapted for use as a workspace or transformed into an independent guest bedroom.