House in Mosogno

About

Participative Project & Self-construction

The conversion was a balancing act between a shared vision and the need to always adapt and react to the found substance. Together with local craftsmen, many friends and students who wanted to gain practical construction experience, we were working on Casa Giuseppina for four summers. The many people involved inhabit the house. We are in dialogue with the locals of Mosogno di Sotto, how to treat other abandoned houses and in which way we can contribute to the commons of the settlement.

Lian Liana Stähelin, Isabel Lehn-Blazejczak and Florian Stieger
with Ljubica Arsić, Caspar Bultmann, Jonas Butscher, Gülsah Canli, Olivia Leah Eckell, Jasper Engelhardt, Carlo Erzinger, Valeria Falletta, Daniel Fuchs, Kathrin Füglister, Cindy Gloggner, Agustin Jacky, Sarah Jacky, Jonas Jakob, Radovan Jovicic, Nora Klinger, Cédric Moser, David Moser, Tizian Naterop, Anna Schudel, Moritz Schudel, Marie Seeger, Sarah Silbernagel, Jonas Stähelin, Peter Stieger, Michele Tortelli and Raphael Ziltener.

Background

The village of Mosogno di Sotto has more houses than residents. Through a DIY effort, young female architects and their friends, working alongside local craftsmen, have converted abandoned ruins into simple homes.

Renovation on a hillside: Mosogno di Sotto lies far from the only road that provides access to the steep Onsernone Valley. A 300-step stone staircase leads into the medieval village layout. There stand the former Casetta mill and the former Casa Giuseppina farmhouse. All floors of the houses are accessible at ground level on the slope. In this topographically complex situation, the site survey was conducted using 3D scans, photos, and manual measurements. The houses, uninhabited for decades, had moisture damage and partially collapsed ceilings.

Design Concept

Building on the interior: The renovations build upon the existing elements. Collapsed ceilings became high-ceilinged rooms; old cornerstones were carved into lavabos; stone washbasins became new kitchens; and open fireplaces were transformed into storage stoves. The formerly damp stone walls were partially lined on the inside with insulating lime plaster. The rooms of the abandoned houses were largely preserved.

Living with the seasons: The usable space of the houses—and thus the way they are lived in—changes with the seasons. In the colder months, wood-burning stoves heat only the essential living and sleeping areas. In summer, the uninsulated rooms beneath the restored stone roofs serve as additional sleeping quarters to accommodate more guests.

Project Planning

A balancing act: The construction process was a balancing act between on-site decisions and a shared vision. The renovations were carried out by local craftsmen, friends who helped out, and the architects themselves. Shared and individual visions of life, a series of consensus decisions, and ongoing adaptations to the existing building structure were key factors in the process. Unique details made it possible to incorporate all building components that did not require immediate replacement into the renovation.

Realization

Local materials: The renovation of the abandoned ruins followed a clear priority: existing materials and fixtures were reused on site and replaced only where necessary. When replacements were needed, they were made using still-intact components from the material reserve found within the village ruins. Only the bare essentials were brought into the village. All building materials had to be carried down on foot or flown in by helicopter. Local materials define the design: chestnut and Onsernone gneiss.

Special Features

Self-construction far from the road: Through self-construction, adjustments could be made on an ongoing basis to the existing building fabric. Being on-site made it possible to respond to surprises that the historic building fabric held in store. For example, entire chambers on the slope that had previously been bricked up only came to light during construction. In this project, the process of collective building was more defining than the vision of a finished structure.

Rethinking the village: Since the transformation, life has returned to the once-abandoned walls. The many people involved in the renovation remain in dialogue with the residents of Mosogno di Sotto. How the extensive built heritage of architectural culture on the southern slopes of the Alps can be put to contemporary use is a relevant question even beyond the village. The line between museum-like preservation and overly intensive interventions is a fine one: dealing with the many other abandoned houses remains a challenge.

*The text was written by the architects in connection with the submission of the project for the Arc Award 2023.

Credits

Photography

Dario Bosio, Pierre Marmy

Location

Mosogno di Sotto, Valle Onsernone

Year

2019-2022