Italian firm designs minimalist dwelling made of wood, straw and cork

In Italy, architecture firm LCA Architetti has designed a small country house made from natural and recyclable construction materials. The simple design utilizes a prefab timber structure and straw insulation sourced from local rice farmers. The house’s most striking feature, however, is arguably cork cladding in a “wavy textured finish” that reduces the structure’s energy requirements. Furnishings are similarly minimalist and made of oak, ceramic and stone, while rooftop solar panels help further reduce the home’s environmental footprint. 

“The clients wanted a home in direct contact with nature, a healthy and environmentally-friendly building, where they could enjoy the little things,” LCA Architetti founder, Luca Compri, tells design site dezeen. “The house wanted to be born from the earth and have the colors of the earth, of the cultivated fields that surround it. The composition is deliberately simple and primitive, the model was the old barns still present in the area.” 

The house, dubbed The House of Wood, Straw and Cork, is located in Magnago, not far from Milan.