Made of straw, wood, or better yet, bricks.
In childhood, home means protection—from the weather, strangers, and anything that could threaten the well-being of its inhabitants. As adults, the house remains a trusted shell, a place where one feels content without the need to seek solace elsewhere, surrounded by personal objects and cherished memories.
The home is a poetic place, where care is evident in the cushion, the plant, and the small feline wandering silently among surfaces of every size, material, and shape. These horizontal and vertical surfaces offer infinite sensory perceptions. Hence, it is also an aesthetic place, from the Greek αἴσθησις (aísthesis), “to perceive through the senses.”
Rugs, furnishings, paintings, family memories, and travel recollections define a temple where daily private rituals occur.
Every house finds its rhythm with the passage of time, a time marked by the presence of what we introduce, akin to the pages of a novel or the growth rings of a tree trunk.
By definition, it is an anthropic element, connecting us through its walls with the surrounding environment. If all walls were made of natural materials, the boundary between inside and outside, natural and artificial, would blur, bringing humans closer to nature.
This philosophy inspired “Àlfa, a Possible Home,” a project presented by Paola Lenti for the 2024 edition of Milano Design Week. This subtle architecture and interior exercise ultimately responds to a precise ethical choice.
It reminds us that initiating new and better practices requires positive thinking and a good dose of willpower.
INSIDE THE ROOMS OF ÀLFA
Director Maurizio Natta
Filmed by Fabrizio Polla Mattiot
Soundtrack Universal Music Publishing Ricordi srl
ph. © Maurizio Natta
© 2024 Paola Lenti srl, all rights reserved