Il Poderino: Farmhouse Restoration near Montalcino — Case Study

A 19th-century farmhouse in the Crete Senesi

Il Poderino is a late-19th-century brick farmhouse near San Giovanni d'Asso, Montalcino, in the Crete Senesi. We restored it as the Tuscan home of an American family; the client has been in residence since summer 2023. The building had been partially renovated in the 1990s. Our intervention reorganised the internal layout to improve spatial quality, natural light and the connection between the living spaces and the garden, while respecting the structural grid of the original masonry. New openings and a terrace connection were introduced within the limits of the landscape authorisation. Studio Feri Associati acted as the client's single point of reference throughout, coordinating the structural engineer, MEP consultant, landscape designer, furniture maker and general contractor.

Materials: stone, lime, terracotta and oak

The material palette was selected for coherence with the Crete Senesi landscape and the client's brief for a contemporary but grounded aesthetic. Terracotta and lime plaster are drawn from the local building tradition, specified together with the spatial design rather than applied afterwards. Natural stone was reinterpreted in a contemporary key; reclaimed oak was used for bespoke joinery and furniture made to measure by Sestini and Corti.

Seven phases, one studio at every step

Survey and due diligence: a complete metric survey with structural assessment. Cadastral records, planning history, landscape constraints and utilities verified; written report shared with the client and their US-based legal advisor before purchase was finalised. Architectural design reorganised the layout within the original masonry grid. Interior design was developed in full continuity with the architecture, with lighting designed in-house. Landscape consultation — coordinated with designer Fabiano Crociani — covered garden layout, planting, paving and pool integration. Permit filing involved a SCIA for internal works and a separate autorizzazione paesaggistica for external interventions, taking approximately four months. Construction supervision: weekly site visits with written photographic reports sent to the client in the United States. Management and handover: end-of-works documentation and formal handover at completion.

Twenty-eight months from survey to keys

From first survey to final handover, the project spanned twenty-eight months: design and permits in the first half, construction and fit-out in the second. Location: San Giovanni d'Asso, Montalcino (SI). Area: approximately 250 square metres. Year completed: 2023. Client: American private family. Structural engineer: Ing. Stefano Feri. Landscape: Fabiano Crociani. Furniture: Sestini and Corti. Studio: Studio Feri Associati, Chianciano Terme, Siena.