Unboxed – A prefabricated timber building for the Mediterranean in Polignano a Mare

Building a house with load-bearing walls in CLT inevitably means building a ‘box’. Unboxed takes this technical constraint and transforms it into a design theme: accepting the box-like structure (which is the compositional principle of 99% of Mediterranean homes) in order to overcome its limitations. The project is designed for Polignano a Mare, in Puglia, where the typology of the white house with clean volumes and a balanced relationship with solar light and the landscape is a deeply rooted cultural feature. Unboxed does not imitate tradition: it translates it into modernity with a different construction system, demonstrating that the prefabricated timber building can be fully Mediterranean.

The high standardisation of the modules and their complete prefabrication allow for four dimensional variants based on different spatial requirements. Every structural element (floors, walls, joinery, eaves) is designed to be installed fully finished, both internally and externally, without thermal bridges. This approach opens the door to industrial solutions for mass production and cost reduction, without compromising on architectural quality. Even the shading panels, cut using CNC machines, are designed with calibrated angles for summer shading and can be customised with four different base patterns.

Sustainability is not just a slogan. The house is 100% recyclable and can be completely dismantled thanks to an innovative steel foundation that eliminates the need for excavation, insulates against ground damp and houses most of the building services. The low-pitched roof allows for the installation of solar tiles capable of generating both electrical and thermal energy. The glazed corridor dividing the living and sleeping areas is not merely a functional element: it is a passage into nature, a transitional space that re-establishes visual and sensory contact with the surrounding environment with every crossing.

The design of the interior spaces confirms the design intent: bespoke furnishings alternate with industrial-style pieces, demonstrating the potential of these homes when designed with attention to technical and aesthetic detail. The living area is organised around a large fitted wall unit, the centre of which is a bioethanol fireplace dominating the central perspective; the sleeping area, with two bedrooms and a bathroom, features full-height panelling that conceals flush doors leading to the walk-in wardrobe. The dominant white colour, the interplay with light and the dialogue with the surrounding nature complete the transposition of the characteristics of the Mediterranean home into a contemporary wooden interpretation.