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Quartzite and onyx from South America bring to mind almost tropical atmospheres, for the costruction of Villa Destri.

"We are located between Valpolicella and Lake Garda, places where classical architectural such as tiled roofs, along with more contemporary architectural elements such as flat roofs on which greenery has been incorporated have been preferred," says Marco Ballarini from Studio Associato Ballarini, that designed the house.

"In designing this magnificent villa we coupled non-invasive architecture with the landscape: the building is lo- cated in the hills with lots of surround- ing greenery, where we had the oppor- tunity of including modern elements while respecting tradition," continues Ballarini. "The building is character- ised by green roof gardens, where we have included dry grasslands: an aesthetic choice but also a functional one linked to the rational use of water. For the flat roofs we have adopted solutions with planters, once again enhancing the greenery, given that the project offered the possibility devel- oping the architecture horizontally, as far as regards the management of the volume and rationalisation of the spaces."

Natural settings

High quality materials from the Marmi Lanza catalogue have been chosen by Massimiliano Destri for the interiors and exteriors. "For the outdoors, a mix of natural materials has been used, such as quartzites, along with some draining materials to make the entire area more permeable. The paths and vehicle entrances have been designed to control the rainwater," continues the land surveyor Ballarini.

The quartzites have been treated with special customised processes, almost like prototypes: a Taj Mahal quartzite treated with a leather finish has been used for the living area. The effect is striking and highlights a sober, re- strained, timeless elegance. Quartzite has been used also for the floors of the living room, bathroom and bedroom where backlit onyx and quartzites in book-match style have also been applied.

In the sleeping area, the backlit wall is in Patagonia Wow quartzite while the floor is parquet.