The Atenastudio/modostudio team, represented by Rossana Atena and Fabio Cibinel, concentrated on the typology of the independent villa, pursuing the added value derived from the exaltation of quality design. In particular the team concentrated on the opportunity to use private gardens, included within the envelope of the home structure, for open-air activities. This approach overcomes the limit between interior and exterior, and takes advantage of the resulting benefits in terms of architecture and quality of life. The team's initial considerations leaned toward a Mediterranean approach, defined by a significant openness of the building envelope, but opted for the private gardens approach due to the harsh winter temperatures.

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The first conceptual indication was that of identifying an instrument for mitigating the differences in temperature during the winter - minimum exterior temperature of -40^oC and the requested interior temperature of +20^oC. This has been achieved by introducing this private garden as a filter, a buffer zone capable of softening this contrast and rendering the conditions less extreme.

This process produced the basic concept of a house within a house, generating three types of spaces: the interior, the exterior and a mediation space that, for all intents and purposes, becomes an intermediary external space-garden and/or terrace-that allows open-air activities to take place for a lengthier period of time throughout the year.

The same section takes advantage of the optimum thermal conduction of steel in the roof's steel panels. During the winter months the structure absorbs heat from the mass of the earth and redistributes it inside the house, maintaining a base temperature near 0^oC, offering significant energy savings. As part of an inverse process, during the summer the house transfers much of its accumulated heat to the earth. These steel panels can be embellished with decorative designs to provide the owner with the ability to personalise the look of the home. The interior space can be organised in a variety of configurations, according to the family's needs.

The exterior space is an extension of a double window concept or, the greenhouse. In light of this reasoning, all windows in the internal spaces do not connect directly with the exterior, but open onto the mediation space.

The typical section is a self-supporting steel structure, built entirely of steel that frees up the interior spaces, allowing for maximum flexibility; based on this logic, the floor slabs and internal walls are fully supported.

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