Mission

design estates presents: Design accommodation à la pedevilla architekten

“We build with local materials, local craftsmen and the characters of the people who live here. It’s not an intellectual matter, but an emotional one: we want to give our projects the opportunity to age with dignity.”

For pedevilla architekten, building means consciously dealing with the social, cultural, economic and ecological components of everyday life. The integration of a building into existing local structures plays just as important a role as responding to the respective temperature and climatic influences. In this context, the issue of consistency becomes an important factor in planning decisions.

“We are interested in the cycles of the materials used, their durability and lifespan, but also in traditional methods of craftsmanship, in knowledge that was thought to be lost, and above all in the fact that materials live.”

Armin and Alexander Pedevilla

… studied architecture at the Technical University in Graz. Both founded their own office in Austria independently of each other after graduating. Driven by the desire to build in the Alps, the brothers returned to South Tyrol in 2005 to found pedevilla architekten together.

Since then, pedevilla architekten have made a name for themselves on the national and international architecture scene and are now one of the most renowned firms in Europe. Their work has received numerous awards and publications and has been shown in numerous architectural exhibitions. This was followed by lectures at universities and institutions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, as well as acting as jurors for architectural competitions.

Alexander Pedevilla

Armin Pedevilla

The internationally oriented architecture firm is located in the centre of the town of Bruneck. A team of ten architects of various nationalities work in a 15th century manor house.

more info at pedevilla.info

Chalet La Pedevilla

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Chalet La Pedevilla

Pliscia, South Tyrol, Italy

2012/13

lapedevilla.it

© Fotos: Gustav Willeit, Alessandra Ianniello, Valerio Vescio

The holiday home is situated at an altitude of 1200 metres, nestled in the rugged and majestic mountain landscape of the South Tyrolean Dolomites. 23 inhabitants, 4 farms and a church make up the tranquil scenery and, together with Chalet La Pedevilla, the hamlet of Pliscia. Nature begins right outside the door and can be experienced through the window at breakfast. Crows and jays often settle on the neighbouring roofs, deer and foxes roam the fields and wild meadows, birds of prey circle with the rising winds. The mountains distance us spatially from the world – and bring us closer to it emotionally. Solitude, tranquillity and closeness to nature take the edge off everyday life. This harmony inherent in the mountains has been translated into the architecture of house number 13 in Pliscia. 

La Pedevilla is a modern retreat high in the Dolomites, designed with great sensitivity to the surroundings. The house opens out towards the valley and provides a view of the breathtaking mountain panorama. The bright interior of the La Pedevilla holiday home has been consistently designed using local materials. The floor and doors are made of typical mountain Swiss stone pine, the curtains are made of soft, locally produced loden fabrics and the walls are made of white concrete with dolomite stone. In this way, the architecture brings a piece of nature inside. Tradition and modernity form an ascetic, inviting unity. The tranquillity of the mountains and the balanced architecture are the ingredients for a quick deceleration at 1200 metres above sea level.

Hotel Bühelwirt

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Hotel Bühelwirt

San Giacomo in Valle Aurina, South Tyrol, Italy

2013/15

buehelwirt.com

Michaela and Matthias’ heartfelt project can be summarised in one sentence: A temporary home for those seeking relaxation. In 2015, they commissioned pedevilla architekten to extend the traditional “Bühelwirt” in St. Jakob in the Ahrntal Valley. The hotel at 1,200 metres above sea level offers a trip to a place that has so much to offer. For the family business, true luxury lies in choosing carefully. They focus on the essentials instead of having too much of everything.

The architects extended the existing building to the east on the plot below. The extension, with its asymmetrical pitched roof, plays off the common rooms in the existing building and utilises both exciting visual relationships and the path of the sun with its characteristic bay windows. 

The green shimmer in the black façade echoes the colours of the lush green to black forests of summer. 

Nature and topography merge with the project and create a high recognition value. The building rises above a simple residential building and conveys its overriding significance as a “hostel”. The interplay of natural materials lends the building warmth and natural beauty. 

Characteristic elements of the local building typology were linguistically translated and interpreted. The larch wood from the surrounding forests conveys a sense of security in the interior spaces and the use of furniture. The green shimmer in the plaster reflects the colours of the mountain world thanks to the aggregates used from the nearby mine and makes the interiors familiar places. The customised lamps are made of copper to reflect the regional value chain. Overall, the special selection of regionally produced materials creates a cosy, calming and familiar atmosphere.

ATTO Suites & Cuisine

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ATTO Suites

San Candido, South Tyrol, Italy

2018/22

attosuites.com

© Fotos: Gustav Willeit

At the foot of the almost 3,000 metre high peaks of the Haunold group, in the eastern Alta Pusteria, lies the municipality of San Candido, which has existed in its present form since the early Middle Ages and can look back on a history of over 1250 years.

His personal connection to the building site in the historic centre of San Candido inspired Stephan Mühlmann to develop a guest house with restaurant at this location. In collaboration with pedevilla architekten, a contemporary project with a historical reference was created. Reduced to the essentials, a calm and cosy atmosphere, lots of wood, warm fabrics, clear lines. ATTO is a place to arrive, let go and feel good.

The concept needed to be sophisticated, sustainable and minimalist. Stephan Mühlmann is a passionate farmer and has been breeding Angus cattle for several years. His own meat is served exclusively in the ATTO restaurant. However, the declared aim of the project was also to give the address a more public character in the interests of the local population. 

The position and orientation of the house is orientated towards the historically grown building structure, so that it stands out as an independent building due to its gable independence and continues the character of the location.

A total of seven high-quality holiday flats were created with a direct view of the striking Haunold Group. Each flat is oriented on at least two sides and has its own loggia in front of the panorama – the star of the scene, so to speak – similar to a theatre box. A teardrop-shaped ornamentation can be found throughout the project as a recurring element with a reference to tradition. The use of regional woods such as untreated spruce and fragrant Swiss stone pine is in harmony with the coloured insulating concrete façade, as well as with the handmade terrazzo floors, plaster and roof panels, whose colour and grain refer to the local Sesto brook stone. This stone was used to build many important historical buildings in the immediate vicinity – including the collegiate church from the 12th century. The materials used in the new building therefore also reflect the history of the village.

Awards for the "La Pedevilla" project

2013
7th South Tyrolean Architecture Award 2013 – Housing category
7th South Tyrolean Architecture Award 2013 – Audience Award

2014
Architecture Award Colour Structure Surface 2014 – Nomination

2015
best architects ’15 – Winner
German Design Award 2015 – Winner
International Architecture Award 2015 – Winner
BigMat Award 2015 – National First Prize

2016
AIT Award 2016 “Living/Housing” – special honour
Architizer A+ Award 2016 – special mention
The Plan Award 2016 – Finalist
A´Design Award 2016 – GOLD Winner

2017
Architetti Arco Alpino 2017 – Nomination
Dedalo Minosse International Prize 2017 – Honorable Mention

2018
German Design Award 2018 – Winner

Awards for the "Bühelwirt" project

2017
Premio Internazionale 2017 – Special Mention

2018
Iconic Award 2018 – Winner – best of best
dezeen award 2018 – Nominee
AIT Award 2018 – Winner – Hotels category 1st prize

2019
German Design Award 2019 – Winner
The Plan Award 2019 – Honorable Mention – Hospitality
Dedalo Minosse International Prize 2019 – Segnalazione della giuria
BIG SEE creative tourism award 2019 – Winner
best architects ’19 – Winner

2020
Gault&Millau “Beste Geheimtipps 2020” – Winner

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