PTS_A / Alessandra Bartali

Architects: Alessandra Bartali
Photography: Diego Laurino
Lead Architects: Alessandra Bartali
Materials: Cast-in-place concrete, reinforced concrete, glass blocks, black metal, wood, cement-effect resin, brick, carbon steel
Location: Capezzano Pianore
Country: Italy

PTS_A transforms a former industrial building in Versilia into a residence shaped by the expressive qualities of concrete and the retained character of its previous uses. Designed by architect Alessandra Bartali, the project occupies a building that served first as an olive oil mill and later as a sculpture studio. Its industrial origins remain evident through the expansive 8.5-meter-high interiors, clerestory ribbon windows, exposed structural elements, and restrained material palette. Glass-block partitions introduce new spatial divisions while maintaining the circulation of natural light, and black metal and timber provide contrast to the dominant concrete surfaces. Concrete extends from the architecture into custom furniture and domestic fixtures, including the dining table, sofa base, shelving, kitchen worktop, bathtub, and washbasin. The horizontal, floor-mounted Tubone radiator by Antrax IT is similarly integrated into the architectural language, combining heating performance with a distinctly industrial presence. The resulting residence treats structure, furniture, finishes, and technical elements as parts of a cohesive architectural composition.

PTS_A is conceived through the adaptive transformation of an existing industrial structure, allowing traces of its former identity to remain central to the residential experience. The building in Capezzano Pianore, in the province of Lucca, between Marina di Pietrasanta and Lido di Camaiore, previously operated as an olive oil mill before becoming a sculpture studio. Rather than erasing these layers, Bartali retains architectural references to the building’s past and develops them within its new domestic role. A small brick chimney remains outside as a tangible connection to the former workshop, while its renewed setting incorporates a wood-fired oven for the private outdoor area. The 100-square-meter patio extends this dialogue through a concrete walkway positioned between gravel landscaping and a timber outdoor dining area.

The interior is organized around the scale and openness of the former industrial volume. A large glazed entrance framed by traditional black mullions leads into spaces with ceilings rising to 8.5 meters, while clerestory ribbon windows introduce daylight along the upper walls. A continuous cement-effect resin floor creates an uninterrupted visual field beneath the different areas of the home, avoiding joints and breaks that might otherwise fragment the interior. This neutral surface allows the walls and architectural interventions to establish the hierarchy of the space, while the preserved diagonal ceiling beam becomes an important reminder of the existing structure.

Concrete is then extended from the building fabric into the furnishings, producing a close relationship between architecture and domestic objects. Bartali designed the dining table, while the L-shaped sofa base was molded using formwork and internal steel structures and finished with brown corduroy cushions. A solid concrete cube forms the coffee table, with a timber surface providing a contrasting element, while continuous wall-mounted shelving and planters were also worked directly on site. The kitchen worktop is made from reinforced concrete, continuing the same material language across functional and decorative components. Against this rougher palette, a grey dormeuse upholstered in cashmere Nuage leather introduces a softer tactile quality.

The spatial divisions are deliberately porous. New partitions made from glass blocks establish a regular grid that becomes both an architectural device and a recurring decorative motif. Their transparency allows natural light to pass through the interior, preserving the sense of continuity across the large volume. The glass-block walls extend into parts of the mezzanine, which is supported by black metal structures and connected by wooden walls and staircases. Together, these elements temper the monochromatic concrete environment without compromising its industrial character. Technical lighting reinforces the same atmosphere, while neon fixtures introduce a more graphic presence on the walls.

The industrial vocabulary continues into the building’s technical and sanitary elements, particularly through the Tubone radiator by Antrax IT. Designed by Andrea Crosetta, Tubone uses a 6-centimeter-diameter tubular profile developed into an elongated ring-shaped form. At PTS_A, the radiator is finished in black and installed horizontally at floor level, with exposed connections that deliberately contribute to its industrial expression. Two elements are paired in the service areas and bathroom to provide the required thermal comfort, while the 170-centimeter model is repeated within the bathroom against the glass-block surfaces. The bathtub and washbasin follow the same approach, with both formed directly from reinforced concrete. Through this continuity, structural elements, fixtures, furnishings, and technical components are treated not as separate layers but as interconnected parts of the residence’s architectural identity.