Le Colline Incantate

The Single Parenting Retreat by Cavallino Bianco

The retreat for separated parents and their children will be located in Sirmione, on the south coast of Lake Garda in the north of Italy. It provides an innovative, new hotel concept for families, which is specifically designed to meet the physical and psychological needs targeted to their situation, with comfortable and enticing zones for all ages, professional staff and caretakers and protected spaces.

The building merges with the landscape, where water becomes an inspiring element for the architectural concept, which creates a landscape of hills in the middle of a new artificial lake. Grass, flowers, shrubs and trees overgrow the structure and blend with the architecture. The challenge was to develop a sustainable concept that defines the Mediterranean climate at Lake Garda. The covering of the whole structure with plants and water alongside cross-ventilation creates a comfortable and consistent temperature within the building complex. Due to the blanket of plants and water there is no need for thermal insulation.

The social aspect is of great importance: Marriage rates are declining; divorce rates are rising. Nearly 15% of children living in OECD countries live in single households. Failed relationships leave children struggling to adapt to the new situations they have to confront. New family constellations call for new housing forms. The retreat is specifically aimed to create a place of security and tranquillity within its hills. The architects worked alongside psychologist Dr. Paul Hofer to develop a program with several therapeutic proposals, which are applied in the Hotel Cavallino “Le Colline Incantate” – “The Enchanted Hills”:

1) SPECIFIC ROOMS: for individual sessions (talks, exercises…) and group experiences for parents and children (according to age)

2) CARE TALKS: for parents and children with psychologists/therapists

3) COMMUNITY FEELING: Parents and children should have a group experience (step by step), to share their common concerns and needs

4) GROUP MEETINGS: Offers for further and in-depth individual discussions and group meetings/activities and painting sessions for groups of children

5) EVALUATION PLAN: At the end of the stay, the guests can develop a joint evaluation and plan for further learning steps

facts & figures

Typology: Hotel

Location: Sirmione, Lake Garda (Italy)

Client: Riffeser, Cavallino Bianco

Construction start: Planned in July 2020

Completion: Planned in 2021

Volume: 39.204 m3

Surface area: 11.432 m2

Phase: Concept, design planning, not completed

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