Villa Argento
a bright, shiny, precious metal
Silver: a bright, shiny, precious metal with unique properties – most notably, the ability to change colour over time – served as inspiration throughout the detailing of this home. The project assumes the name Argento—an Italian word which translates to English as silver—which is both a nod to the clients’ Italian heritage, and to the material. Silver is a metal which takes on many finishes: polished, brushed, hand-worked, carved, etched and even tarnished. In particular, the colour qualities, and workability of silver as a material served as inspiration for various design elements in the project. On the exterior, Eramosa stone in its various grains read as a grey silver, while bronze anodized aluminum accents applied to the roof soffits, flashing, windows, and door cladding read as tarnished silver. Mirror-finished polished stainless steel adorns the interior architecture as structural, connective, and decorative elements. In various applications, scales, and materials, the reflective/iridescent quality of silver is explored.
designed with the clients’ craft in mind
Villa Argento was designed with the clients’ craft in mind. As veteran architectural metal and glass fabricators, the clients wanted a custom residence that would showcase their capacity within their field of expertise, and allow them to participate in the design and building process as artisans. The client’s passion for craftsmanship and innovation drove the majority of building elements to be drawn and designed at a 1:5 scale, and in some instances, custom engineered and fabricated. As a result, details throughout the building provide resolution at all scales, and demonstrate the limits of design and fabrication.
