ZM HOUSE  by DAM Studio

The project for ZM house in Turin, Italy, stems from a metamorphosis: when the family grows, design embraces change with functionality and new beauty.

Entrance, studio and children’s room: three different environments made of FENIX with two shades of green. Designed by architects Cristian Bevacqua and Davide Zannotti of Dam Studio, this triad of interiors is the result of a change leading to the evolution of ZM house. “It used to be a house designed to meet the needs of two people, until the family grew to three individuals. At that point, the second bedroom, which the couple used as a studio and wardrobe, became the nest for their daughter,” explain the two architects.

In addition to the children’s room, creatively finding space for other essential functions was needed. The project, therefore, “invaded” other house rooms: a large shoe cabinet at the entrance and a studio in the living area. Thus, the metamorphosis was accomplished: three new elements took shape staying linked together by the same innovative material and the same chromatic sphere.

FENIX NTM^® Verde Comodoro for the entrance and studio and FENIX NTM^® Bloom Verde Brac for the bedroom satisfied different levels of use, say Bevacqua and Zannotti. “We wanted a surface soft to the touch, pleasant both for an adult and, above all, for a child to discover the sensory aspect of the objects surrounding her.” For the studio, it was also a functional choice in which the anti-fingerprint and the possibility of thermal healing of superficial micro-scratches were appreciated on frequently used furniture and in transit areas like the entrance. “Last, but not least, FENIX was an aesthetic choice”, they point out, “as the opaque surface gives refinement to the environments that it fits in.”

The selection of colours was not left to chance. The two FENIX greens elegantly blend with the naturalness of the surrounding wooden structures and take on different meanings based on the type of environment they are meant for. “In the living space, Verde Comodoro is accompanied by solid oak inserts which give greater formal cleanliness to the house’s welcoming areas. Verde Brac creates continuity in the child’s room, while pursuing, together with the solid pine wood structures, an ideal childish vision of a pastel-coloured forest.”

In particular, the use of FENIX NTM Bloom in the child’s room defines an important awareness in interior design planning. By using lignin to reduce the amount of phenol included in the core’s resin, Bloom technology enhances the commitment to respect the environment. As Bevacqua and Zannotti acknowledge, “In recent years we’ve found a growing sensitivity on this issue, that has allowed us to select more refined materials”.

In the green metamorphosis of ZM house, the concept of functionality is emphasized in the design of the studio, which the architects called “Fasuma.” Inspired by Japanese fusuma, they created a “secret” design niche capable of redefining the structure of a room. “Translated into a simple Piedmontese word, Fasuma (‘let’s do’) is our response to the need, or pleasure, of being able to work from home. In a reduced depth of 34 cm when closed, there is a workstation that easily integrates and transforms any environment”.

Light also plays a fundamental role in the harmonious inclusion of the three new elements in the existing space. “The furniture for the living room area had to be integrated with defined finishes and furnishing accessories. Therefore, we needed to fit them by favoring spaces and shades, while creating a game of mimesis and exploitation of the different conditions of natural and artificial light.” The result, the architects say, “is a furniture that absorbs and changes as the hours pass, providing a backdrop for the various daily activities, and an entrance that amplifies the depth of the space, creating an enveloping antechamber.”