Electrical Cabin Recovery / Studio Wok

Architects: studio wok
Area: 300 m²
Year: 2024
Photographs: Marcello Mariana
Category: Houses, Refurbishment
Design Team: studio wok
Client: QuadroDesign
City: San Maurizio d’Opaglio
Country: Italy

Electrical Cabin Recovery adaptive reuse project designed by studio wok in Italy transforms an abandoned utility structure on the grounds of the QuadroDesign headquarters near Lake Orta into a flexible, multi-use space. The intervention introduces three elements, a cabin, pergola, and swimming pool, rising from a concrete plateau that acts as a shared public square. The cabin, reimagined as a compact residential or functional unit, retains its unconventional form and is configured with external metal sliding doors, a bathroom, mini-kitchen, and two mezzanines linked by metal stairs. One mezzanine, made of natural wood, fits a bed, while the other, carved from an existing slab, serves as a daylight-filled niche. Material and color selections are intentionally minimal and neutral, enhancing the contemplative quality of the space. The adjacent pergola, constructed from galvanized steel, includes bays for dining, lounging, and an outdoor kitchen. A semi-recessed swimming pool made of anthracite stone completes the site, reinforcing spatial definition and providing an informal gathering zone.

The project is situated near Lake Orta, within the headquarters of the QuadroDesign faucet company. The intervention included the design of open spaces and the recovery of an old electrical cabin located on the property, representing the second phase of work following the renovation of the offices and showroom completed in 2022. The client sought to introduce new spaces with flexible and dynamic functions, intended for use either by the Magistro family, who own the company, for commercial activities, or as an artist’s residence. A concrete plateau defines a kind of public square, from which three volumes emerge that outline, in a fluid and adaptable way, various potential uses of the space: the cabin, the pergola, and the swimming pool.

The recovery and reuse of the abandoned electrical cabin, due to its unconventional shape for an inhabited space, provided an opportunity for spatial experimentation. The ground floor maintains a direct relationship with the outdoors, facilitated by a series of external metal sliding doors and windows that manage the transition between inside and outside. The interior houses several technical functions, including a bathroom and a mini-kitchen, which also serve as support for activities taking place outdoors. As a result, the building functions as a small activator within the company’s open spaces. Verticality is utilized through the incorporation of two mezzanines connected by a system of metal stairs. The first mezzanine, more spacious, is constructed from natural wood and is designed to accommodate a bed. The second makes use of an existing concrete slab, transforming it into a comfortable area positioned to receive natural light from a nearby roof window.

The selection of materials and colors is intended to create a neutral and absolute atmosphere, evoking a space that is almost sacred. No artificial colors are introduced, and all materials are presented in their natural tones, illuminated by natural light. The pergola is positioned at the edge of the concrete plateau, set perpendicular to the cabin. It is constructed from galvanized steel tubular profiles and organized into five bays with a consistent spacing of 2.6 meters. The first two bays are designed to accommodate either a lounge or a dining area, while a long kitchen counter, custom-built from stone and sheet metal, occupies two additional bays and is sheltered by a lightweight corrugated sheet metal roof.

Completing the intervention and marking its boundary is a small swimming pool, which is partially embedded in the ground and rises from the concrete surface as a monolithic volume made of anthracite stone. This element, which recalls the form of the kitchen volume, also functions as an expansive seating area.