In this project, we aimed to work with the theme of the courtyard, understood as a defining element of traditional rural architecture in the Sicilian countryside. Here, the courtyard connects the main body of the house with a smaller annex that hosts a guest room and a small storage area. These two volumes, together with two walls, define this space, which is also the largest “room” of the house.
On one side of the courtyard, the wall opens up with a ribbon window that frames the olive grove, capturing the treetops in a natural tableau. The house, covering just over 80 square meters, features a very simple internal layout. A single open space includes the living room, kitchen, and service areas. From this space, one can access two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.
The living area engages with the outside through large openings, on one side with the courtyard and on the other with the surrounding landscape, characterized by a vineyard. Mediating the view of the vineyard is a swimming pool, whose dark bottom helps blend the water with the color of the sky. A metal staircase connects the ground level with a terrace that overlooks the countryside of the Menfi area, offering a distant view of the sea on the horizon.