A Restored Stable in the Italian Alps Embraces Its Unparalleled Landscape

When the architects at ATOMAA first approached the agrarian structure they were commissioned to renovate for a Zurich-based family in Varzo, Italy, it was in dire shape. But the building—with its rich Italian Alpine heritage and abundance of reusable materials—had the potential to become the bucolic retreat of the owners’ dreams. 

Surrounded by towering peaks in a valley of larch trees, the existing home included an old fireplace and large stone arch that hinted at its storied past. The architects used the building’s history to inspire its promising future. 

The 1,530-square-foot home—dubbed House Cinsc—carefully balances authenticity and contemporaneity, preserving the existing shape of the structure while reconfiguring the interiors through a discrete extension. Local artisans restored the exterior by hand using stones from the original building. The textured facade pays homage to the home’s traditional identity while mirroring the craggy mountains just beyond its walls.