- Project: The Gray Race House
- Architect: Rinaldo Del Nero
- Location: Italy, Cosio Valtellino, Sondrio
- Year: 2024
- Photography: Marcello Mariana
A Manifesto for Regeneration, Not Demolition
The Gray Race House by Rinaldo Del Nero is an architectural statement that challenges the dominant logic of demolition and reconstruction. Rather than erasing what already exists, the project listens to it — transforming an obsolete structure into a living, efficient, and meaningful home.
Set in the Alpine landscape of the lower Valtellina valley, at the foot of the Orobie Alps, the residence stands between the historic heart of Cosio Valtellino and its newer residential extensions. This unique position — near an old public washhouse — reflects the essence of the project: a bridge between memory and modernity, craftsmanship and technology.
Transformation with Integrity
Before the intervention, the building was fragile, energy-inefficient, and functionally outdated. Rinaldo Del Nero envisioned not a replacement, but a transformation — one that could honor the past while leading it into a more conscious future.
The renovation introduced a new upper floor, a rebuilt roof, comprehensive insulation inside and out, and a complete reorganization of the interior layout. Yet the project never sought to impose a new identity. Instead, it redefined the existing one — turning the building’s imperfections into character and resilience.
This approach reflects Rinaldo Del Nero’s design ethos: every trace of history carries value, and architecture becomes truly sustainable when it evolves rather than replaces.
Beyond the Superbonus: Building with Responsibility
Executed under Italy’s Superbonus 110% program, Rinaldo Del Nero’s project demonstrates that economic incentives and architectural quality can coexist. While many renovations driven by the incentive program pursued speed over substance, The Gray Race House stands apart — emphasizing craftsmanship, detailing, and performance.
The project earned the prestigious CasaClima R certification, a recognition of its superior energy standards and construction quality. The house now operates fully independent of fossil fuels, powered by an air-to-water heat pump, underfloor heating, and a controlled mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
A 6 kW photovoltaic system with battery storage and an EV charging station complete the setup, turning the home into an entirely self-sufficient, future-ready dwelling — a perfect balance between technology and design sensitivity.
The Poetics of Material and Light
Rinaldo Del Nero approached The Gray Race House as both architect and craftsman. The choice of materials — natural stone, wood, lime plaster, and steel — creates a tactile, grounded composition that harmonizes with the Alpine environment.
Inside, every space expresses restraint and purpose. The interiors are bright yet intimate, defined by carefully curated textures and furnishings that elevate simplicity into sophistication. Brands such as Azzurra, Cielo, Cipì, Edonè, Florim, and Marset bring a quiet elegance to the domestic atmosphere, while lighting by Nemo and Godanaa reinforces the dialogue between shadow and form.
The result is a home that feels timeless — neither rustic nor overly polished, but balanced and serene.
A Living, Evolving Organism
The Gray Race House by Rinaldo Del Nero is not a nostalgic replica of the past, nor a futuristic object imposed on its site. It is a living organism — regenerated rather than reconstructed, authentic rather than decorative.
Every intervention — from structure to material to system — was guided by an ethos of continuity. The building’s renewed shell and interior are not symbols of replacement but of endurance. This is architecture that grows from its roots, not over them.
By transforming rather than erasing, Rinaldo Del Nero has created a project that transcends trends and typologies — a profound meditation on how architecture can embody memory, sustainability, and emotion in equal measure.
