Private House, Lasa (Laas)

Building shell refined with Lasa marble chippings provides a radiant white façade

The popularity of adding Lasa marble chippings to uncovered concrete as an aggregate is growing. In 2017/2018, the South Tyrolean architects Christian Monsorno and Katja Trauner used white exposed concrete for the shell of a newly built single-family house in Lasa (Laas).

From the outset, architects and builders wanted to incorporate the natural stone from Lasa (Laas) into modern architecture. Due to the location of the house on a slight slope, the white rectangular structure was recessed and opened to the outside with two cantilevered building parts on the north and south sides. Particularly worth mentioning: the use of 250 tonnes of marble chippings with a grain size of 8/16 mm.

In order to give the white concrete a particularly brilliant white colour, the mixes and patterns were tinkered with until the non-plastered and non-veneered façade delivered the desired result. When the sun falls on the façade, it begins to glow softly, revealing the wonderful plasticity of the concrete. The polygonal marble stones contained in the Lasa marble chippings are responsible for this special effect, which makes the bright white exposed concrete sparkle and glow depending on the sun's rays. They make the façade glitter. The formwork of the exposed concrete was also designed without joints. The white building shell thus appears to have been cast in one piece.

In addition, the façade was treated with a special impregnation, thanks to which rainwater runs straight off. In order to complete the overall picture, white concrete elements were also used in the exterior design. For example, a white exposed concrete ramp leads beautifully into the entrance area of the architecturally recessed building. The boundary walls of the property were also made of white exposed concrete with Lasa marble.