Nestled in the picturesque Valle del Lambro Regional Park in Carate Brianza, Italy, emerges GREENSTYLE, a groundbreaking residential complex designed to redefine modern living. This next-generation development by Castello Lagravinese Studio, established in 2008 by Alessandro Castello and Maria Antonietta Lagravinese, seamlessly blends cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and well-being, with a keen emphasis on energy efficiency and the quality of life for its residents.
Castello Lagravinese Studio has meticulously crafted a space that is both functional and deeply personal. Their design philosophy, described by Alessandro Castello as a “warm and rather brutalist moodboard,” utilizes concrete walls, wooden elements, and unique ceramics to create a distinctive material effect.
The penthouse, spanning 140 square meters with an additional 80 square meter terrace, offers a constant connection with the outdoors. The entrance immediately draws guests towards a south-facing panoramic terrace, which provides sunlight from dawn to dusk and changing seasonal views framed by majestic poplars. At night, perimeter LED lighting transforms the terrace into a welcoming space for relaxation or entertaining.
Inside, the living area is a spacious, multifunctional open space where daily activities unfold seamlessly. It features a “Wunderkammer” living room, a testament to the homeowners’ personal tastes, showcasing curated objects like travel finds, flea-market discoveries, and industrial vintage pieces. This includes recycled artworks, such as a motorcycle tank transformed into a mallard duck, and a collection of robots. The furnishings are a thoughtful blend of new and repurposed elements, such as a coffee table made from a birch log with brass and an airline trolley repurposed for a Porsche model car collection, a homeowner’s passion. A large 1930s French industrial metal cabinet offers flexible storage, and a green swivel armchair, discovered at a flea market and restored by a historic upholsterer, serves as a favorite spot for guests and pets.
The minimalist dining and kitchen area integrates seamlessly with a ceramic slab wall that conceals a built-in workspace. A flush-to-wall door in the kitchen leads to the study/guest room, the only colored room in the interior, perfect for remote work or reading.
The master bedroom functions as a multifunctional suite, featuring a floor-to-ceiling tilt door that reveals visual continuity enhanced by recessed LED molding tracing the apartment’s perimeter. A wooden shelf serves as both storage and a desk, complemented by a pouf made from a distressed black tree trunk. The walk-in closet area incorporates a ceramic bench that extends into the shower through smoked glass, which also acts as a scenic partition behind the bed’s headboard, magically concealing the closet until illuminated. The bedroom – with iron furniture – is adorned with curated industrial relics, including a 1950s Royal Navy cabinet and a 1940s Polish military chest of drawers, while desert-cactus wallpaper connects the interior to the terrace’s greenery.
The en-suite bathroom features a concrete wall with a mirrored flush door leading to a space fully clad in floor-to-ceiling tiles. Notably, a second bathroom includes a circular pet passage, allowing free access to the terrace via a cat flap in the perimeter wall.
Advanced home automation is central to the GREENSTYLE experience. Residents can centralize control of lighting, climate, and shutters via smartphone or tablet. The system also offers custom lighting scenarios, remote intercom access, real-time energy monitoring, and smart speaker integration for voice commands, optimizing comfort and consumption.
The overall material palette emphasizes spatial continuity, featuring uniform parquet flooring, two types of ceramics repeated throughout, full-length wooden acoustic slats, and brass rods accenting concrete-effect walls. State-of-the-art lighting, including directional, intensity-adjustable recessed spotlights and dimmable perimeter LEDs, further enhances the unique atmosphere.
GREENSTYLE is more than just a residence; it is an evolving, personalized ecosystem that reflects the homeowners’ passion for design and offers a harmonious blend of innovative technology, thoughtful sustainability, and profound well-being.
