- Project: A House in Sardinia
- Architect: Stera Architectures
- Location: Italy, Sardinia
- Year: 2019
- Area: 1100 m2
- Photography: Nicolas Borel, Tiziano Canu
Architecture That Embraces the Sardinian Landscape
Designed by Stefania Stera of Stera Architectures, A House in Sardinia is more than a villa—it is an architectural dialogue with one of the Mediterranean’s most dramatic landscapes. Located in Porto Cervo’s Costa Smeralda, the house is carefully embedded within rugged terrain, dramatic rock formations, and sea views, celebrating the natural richness of the site.
The design respects Sardinia’s tradition of architecture integrated into nature, a philosophy initiated in the 1960s by the Aga Khan and the Costa Smeralda Consortium. Instead of imposing itself on the land, the house magnifies its surroundings through axes of geometry aligned with the sea and rocky cliffs, creating an architectural promenade rooted in continuity with nature.
Site Challenges and Integration
The site’s slope, rocks, and wild inlets posed significant challenges. The original house, oriented only southward, failed to capture sea views or northern woodland light. Stera Architectures reimagined the plot by:
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Embedding the house into the slope to create two levels, both perceived as ground floors.
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Establishing a green roof terrace, dubbed the “flying carpet,” which overlooks the sea.
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Designing a ledge path along the waterfront, revealing the coastline through intimate spatial sequences.
The result is a house that nurtures and is nurtured by its setting, using architecture to frame nature rather than obscure it.
Spatial Organization: A Courtyard at the Heart
The residence is organized around a central courtyard, which acts as both entry and gathering place. Unlike conventional layouts, the entrance hall is modest, gradually expanding into open living spaces oriented toward the sea.
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Ground Floor: Guest rooms, service areas, and connections to the garden and sea.
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Upper Floor: The master suite, living room, dining room, and office, arranged to maximize views and circulation.
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Master Suite: Designed as a U-shaped sequence of enclosed and open spaces, with terraces, patios, and bedrooms oriented to the sea and the site’s inner courtyard.
Multiple access points—from a boulevard-style parking area, a caretaker’s house, and service courtyards—ensure functionality without diminishing intimacy.
Materiality and Craft
The architecture fuses durable materials and traditional craftsmanship, ensuring resilience against the harsh coastal environment while rooting the design in local heritage. Stone, stucco, and handcrafted details balance the villa’s monumental presence with human-scale warmth and durability.
Green roofs and landscaped terraces weave the mineral-heavy architecture back into the site, creating a natural camouflage and maintaining harmony with Sardinia’s ecosystem.
An Architectural Promenade
The house unfolds as a sequence of experiences, an “architectural promenade” where every turn reveals a new relationship between rock, sea, and vegetation. The “canyon” spine organizes circulation, connecting courtyards, terraces, and lower-level spaces, encouraging exploration.
The design’s richness lies in its ability to merge domestic life with Sardinia’s wilderness, allowing the house to feel both protective and open.
A House in Sardinia by Stera Architectures is a masterwork of site-sensitive contemporary architecture. By embedding itself within Porto Cervo’s rugged terrain and orchestrating views toward the sea and cliffs, the villa exemplifies how modern design can honor natural heritage while delivering luxury living.
With its courtyard-centered layout, green roof terraces, and careful integration of craft and materiality, the project extends the Costa Smeralda tradition of architecture that is both refined and inseparable from the Sardinian landscape.
