In designing this vast stone villa on the Ligurian coast, Giordano Hadamik Architects emphasised the rugged landscape and the client’s desire for a truly special home in which to spend quality time and reconnect with nature

One family’s search for somewhere special to spend time with family and reconnect with nature came to a conclusion when, with the help of Giordano Hadamik Architects, they discovered a piece of land on the Ligurian coast, a stone’s throw from the iconic Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. The rugged landscape and its natural terraced formation were a draw, but the deciding factor was the plot’s cinematic view across the neighbouring valley.

Architect couple Daniele Giordano and Nadine Hadamik are the minds behind this remarkable home. The clients’ brief to them was to create a sustainable structure that was made from stone and at one with the landscape. The pair say that the design process was relatively quick because their inspiration and design came directly from the site. Rather than impose an aesthetic or style from the outset, the creative duo emphasised connections with nature. The entire design, they explain, was driven by nature-focused objectives.

Both architects and client were keen to incorporate local materials and traditional crafts wherever possible, so the stone excavated from the site was repurposed for exterior cladding, hand cut by local stone masons, and much of home was constructed by local builders over an 18-month period. The liberal use of stone is complemented with a selection of natural materials, particularly timber, giving the home a subdued appearance. Giordano, who happens to hail from the Ligurian region, describes the structure as an ‘attempt to be part of the landscape rather than an architectural volume’, while Hadamik, originally from Germany, describes it as a timeless design, adding that ‘it’s a very humble place’.

Given the client’s brief for a family gathering place, each of the bedrooms are compact and minimal, with the emphasis firmly on communal living spaces, which are voluminous and totally open to the expansive terrace. The main living room was deliberately sited on the very spot the family stood when they first fell in love with the location, with windows and openings located to maximise the view out across the pool and over the valley beyond. Structural walls continue from the landscape, through the interiors and out again, and the integration of natural materials helps blur the boundary between inside and out. Despite its generous size and volume, the architects insist the home is cosy and inviting, and due to its partly subterranean setting it disappears into the landscape.

The villa was completed in 2015, and the latest achievement in its long list of accolades is that it was chosen as the location for Italian brand Flexform’s latest outdoor collection campaign. What Flexform found in Villa Nemes and Giordano Hadamik Architects was a mutual respect for craft, natural materials, timeless design and a love for the great outdoors.

Text / Suzy Annetta