A tourist housing module that allows you to immerse yourself in nature at 360°, but simultaneously retaining the possibility of shelter and privacy. From this idea, Casa Ojalá had been presented by the architect Beatrice Bonzanigo during Milan Design Week 2019. The first prototype was finished and put into operation in the ancient heart of Val d’Orcia, Tuscany. Since then, the idea has turned into a company – founded with engineer Ryan Nesbitt – complete with a patent approved in 2020.

With a circular plan, the small architecture is inspired by nautical design, making the space of just 27 square meters a flexible gear equipped with manual mechanisms, handles, pulleys and cranks: interior walls that dematerialize sliding on invisible tracks, beds hidden flush with the mahogany floor, even the toilet is concealed. The architecture, more similar to a merry-go-round than to a house, can thus change its skin according to the needs and the moments of the day, now completely permeable to the landscape, now closed and introspective. The only constant elements are the bathtub and the bioethanol fireplace, sculptural objects that refer to the intimacy of living.

Materially, the house is made from carefully selected lumber, recycled plastic fabrics, and handmade ceramics. “I think of the luxury of the home as a return of hands to the work, which is a root of evolution. Beyond the automatisms of travel and living today, between virtual and hyper technology,” explains architect Bonzanigo. On the central pillar that suspends the house from the ground, the fixed furnishings are grafted - bookcase, closet, bedside table and sink - and the steps that allow access to the roof, where the photovoltaic panels mounted and a mechanical system and water management, should help Casa Ojalá to become a self-sufficient unit.