An Architecture emerging from the Landscape: Westway Architects’ Villa in Sardinia, Italy

Perched on the hills of Porto Rafael, Sardinia, this villa designed by Westway Architects establishes a profound dialogue with the Mediterranean landscape, reinterpreting in a contemporary way the organic architectural language that characterized this coastal area during the 1960s and 1970s, as requested by the client. The Rome-based studio is now completing its fourth project in Costa Smeralda.

Immersed in the Mediterranean maquis and surrounded by wild olive trees, junipers, and granite outcrops, the residence appears to emerge naturally from the site’s morphology. The project originated from the integration of two existing concrete structures, transformed into a unified architectural organism with soft, enveloping forms capable of blending seamlessly with the landscape and the rocky nature of the site.

Access to the villa unfolds through a series of granite pathways crossing the Mediterranean garden and gradually leading to the living spaces and the infinity pool, conceived as a continuous water surface visually opening toward the sea. The presence of the pool reinforces the idea of a broad and fluid space, where architecture, light, and reflections constantly interact with the marine horizon.

The architectural layout develops around the concept of continuity between interior and exterior. Large openings, patios, and curved surfaces extend the living spaces toward the surrounding landscape, privileging views of the crystal-clear sea. White lime-plaster surfaces, bush-hammered Orosei marble flooring, oak wood, and woven reed elements in the cantilevered areas contribute to defining an essential material language deeply rooted in local building traditions.

A central element of the project is its relationship with the site’s rocky nature: the granite ridge behind the house seems to slide directly into the architecture itself, becoming an integral part of the composition and strengthening the sense of belonging to the landscape. The intervention avoids any self-referential gesture, instead relying on a grammar of sinuous curves, natural materials, and spatial continuity.

The interiors, characterized by neutral microcement finishes and oak details, convey an atmosphere that is both essential and sophisticated, balancing local architectural memory with contemporary sensibility. The villa is developed mainly on a single level dedicated to the living area and the guest and children’s bedrooms, while the master suite is located in the rooftop tower, in a more private and panoramic position.

Above the house, the large terrace clad in custom-designed white and blue Vietri ceramics becomes a recognizable feature within the landscape: an undulating carpet recalling the movement of water and the reflections of the sea, visible even from above as a vibrant surface suspended between architecture and nature.

Technical Details

Location: Porto Rafael – Palau – Sardinia, Italy

Typology: Single-family villa with garden and swimming pool

Architectural Design: Westway Architects with Nicole Cieri

Area: Interiors 195 sqm – Garden 2,500 sqm

Construction Company: 2M 2L by Lucio Beccu

Suppliers: AGAPE taps, CIELO sanitary ware, DE MAIO Vietri outdoor ceramics, MICRO mosaics, RENZO SERAFINI indoor lighting, RENZO SERAFINI and SIMES outdoor lighting, TALENTI, TRIBÙ and BOQA outdoor furniture

About Westway Architects

Westway Architects (Luca Aureggi, Maurizio Condoluci, Laura Franceschini) is an architecture firm founded in Rome in 2005. The name originates from the desire to combine professional and life experiences gained in the United States with the culture of their homeland.

All their projects, marked by the precision and attention to detail typical of the Anglo-Saxon world, are conceived and developed to meet the needs and requests of their clients. In each project, the starting point is the investigation and study of the site, listening to its traces as a stimulus to formulate ideas and find solutions with future value.

Over the years, Westway Architects has become one of the most respected and versatile studios of the new generation of Italian designers. Their activity is well-established across Italy and extends abroad, with projects and construction sites in Ethiopia.

Projects of great complexity and mastery include: the redevelopment of the wineries and industrial buildings of the Santa Margherita complex in Portogruaro (Venice), a new residential/commercial building in the historic setting of Viale Monte Grappa in Milan, the new Castel Group headquarters in Ethiopia, and a wide range of private residential works such as several villas in Sardinia and Sicily.

Visit www.westway.it for more information.