Progress Country & Wine House: past and present in perfect harmony

The Progress Country & Wine House is situated in the Asolo hills, in the Veneto region of Italy, and proposes itself as a prestige holiday farm as well as growing and offering tastings of organic wine and olive oil. The renovation was a major project, aimed at bringing together the past and the present.
The Progress Country & Wine House project combined different collections in an original, creative way, giving them a fresh interpretation and making full use of their expressive potential. Thanks to these characteristics, the project won the coveted Emilgroup Projects Award 2022 in the Creativity category.

We chatted with architect Giuliano Pastro and the farm’s owner, Dennis Bordin, who gave us some interesting insights into the project.

Giuliano Pastro, tell us a bit about your architecture studio and your approach to design.

GPA Studio handles projects in the residential and industrial sectors, schools and hospitality, as well as industrial design. Our philosophy is to create a unique identity that is rooted in and reinterprets the qualities of the Veneto territory.
We have a pragmatic, rational approach, based on an analysis of the physical and cultural aspects of the project, including the local architecture and the client’s own requirements, while observing local environmental and planning regulations.

The architectural design of the Progress Country & Wine House was founded on an old building, full of history and tradition. What kind of building work did it involve?

The project had two phases: first, to renovate the original farmhouse, and second, to extend it with a new modern building which reflected the requirements of the client.
This project, the renovation of an existing farmhouse combined with an extension housing new guest rooms and a wine cellar, is an excellent example of modern construction, perfectly integrated into the countryside setting of the Asolo hills.

Dennis Bordin, the Progress Country & Wine House contains 9 apartment suites, each with its own unique style and personality. How did you integrate Emilgroup products into the design of the suites? 

The original idea was to offer 9 different experiences and moods to our guests. Each Apartment Suite has its own unique colour, furnishing, style and wall coverings.
Emilgroup collections have the style and performance we required, and we selected them to give a special personality to each suite, also combining them with skirtings we make ourselves.  

Giuliano Pastro, what architectural challenges do you face in a setting governed by heritage regulations like this one?

Finding the right contemporary architectural language in a project restricted by heritage regulations was a major challenge - we had to integrate the renovation of the old building with the new design of the extension. Using natural materials enabled us to achieve this integration between the old and the new.

 

The Project

Dennis Bordin, how important was the choice of materials and finishings in your effort to bring together the past, present and future of the farm?

Our aim was to create different spaces in the farm, in which our guests could enjoy their stay, immersed in the typical Asolo stone building style. This is why it was critical to find the right combination of materials, profiles, finishes and coverings, together with our installation systems for the bathrooms - it required close collaboration with the architect and interior designer, especially in the common areas, the solarium terrace and wine and oil tasting area.

Giuliano Pastro, the Emilgroup collections chosen for the farm enabled you to give an elegant personal flavour to the various suites and the common areas. What did you most like about our porcelain stoneware products?

Using a variety of Emilceramica porcelain stoneware collections in different sizes, especially the collections inspired by natural, brushed and pickled wood, gave each suite and common area its own personality and identity, while maintaining their harmony with the Country & Wine House. For the bathroom walls of each suite, we used the same collection as the floors, although in a variety of colours and sizes.

 

The Project

06 July 2022

Magazine

From our blog

Totalook: interview with the designer