A red steel walkway links this 1960s villa in Italy’s Marche region to a concrete block called Aniso Rosso, completed by local architecture studio Macuzzi Verdini.
Aniso Rosso, or Red Annex, is named after the deep red color of its painted steelwork and replaces a cluster of disused agricultural sheds at the back of a house in the village of Loreto.
Taking advantage of the once converted plot’s vista across the Marche Hills, the concrete adjacency comprises a fully glazed living and dining space topped by a patio.
Macuzzi Verdini extended this patio into an elevated walkway that connects directly to the first floor of the existing house, as well as a small spiral staircase that leads to the garden and the annexe itself.
Aniso Rosso’s window frames, balustrades, walkway and spiral staircase are all painted in the same shade of deep red, which was chosen to “highlight contemporary gestures in a rural context,” says Giovanni Macozzi, co-founder of Macozzi Verdini.
“The main concept of the project was to transform the rear of the villa into a space that harmoniously integrates rural life with a contemporary vision of living,” Macuzzi told Dezeen.
“The most important gesture is the red steel bridge and roof that connects the annex to the existing villa,” added Macuzzi.
“Beyond its functional role, it serves as a symbolic bridge between generations, traditions and modern life, creating space for social interaction, contemplation and visual connection with the surrounding landscape.”
Aniso Rousseau is organized into quadrants based on its square concrete grid. As well as a fully glazed living room, it features a glazed kitchen and a bathroom that is externally clad in larch planks.
Sliding glass doors connect the kitchen to the paved dining patio, which is sheltered by red canopies set into two concrete-framed squares.
The studio described the annex’s overall aesthetic as “brutalist”, with its concrete structure exposed in the interior spaces and terrazzo floors alongside metal sheet ceilings.
“The materials were chosen to balance strength and lightness, reflecting both local tradition and contemporary life,” Macuzzi said.
“It exemplifies the integration between architecture, landscape and memory, transforming the former utilitarian spaces of the villa into a contemporary living experience that celebrates both tradition and modernity,” he added.
Elsewhere in Italy, architecture practice Studio Bresson recently extended a traditional stone farmhouse with a glazed garden room, and StudioTomato renovated a 1960s villa, mixing modernist touches with floral wallpaper and playful shapes.
Photography is by Simone Bossi unless otherwise stated.
