Architect Alessandro Rado - BIG BERRY houses: A new way of living holidays and doing business
Architect Alessandro Rado, the innovator behind BIG BERRY house interior design, is the CEO, strategic planner and art director for the prefab design part of Dogtrot.
Sharing with BIG BERRY the passion for design, nature and house mobility, Rado explains the meaning of every choice for the house interior design, from colours to the usage of the space.
1- How did you plan BIG BERRY house interior design?
A Berry is a colourful and wild fruit, and these houses give life to a small world of comfort and design, integrated in the natural context. Our aim was to combine luxury and freedom.
2- Colours, textures, materials are the result of an excellent taste. I can’t imagine doing it on my own and ending up with this perfect combination! How did you get to this full concept? Where did you get inspiration from?
I got the inspiration from the idea of creating a new way of living holidays and free time, according to changing concepts of lifestyle, and most importantly, by satisfying the desire of a complete and total integration in the natural context.
3- Many guests mention liking the house because of its lean design concept and modernity. Besides those two aspects, what else have you focused on while projecting the design?
Color has a predominant role in this project. Each home is characterized by a unique colour palette, symbolizing its place to be: Brown is the colour of wood, of the birch tree (common in Slovenia), while Blue is the colour of the sea and the light summer sky.
4- When we mention the house, we normally highlight the proximity it has to nature due to its natural elements. Can you talk about the relation between design elements and nature?
BB homes stand always in direct contact with nature. Design is fundamental to guarantee this genuine holiday experience. For example, the big openings in the living room give the feeling of being surrounded by nature.
5- We love BB toilets and it is almost impossible not to get joyful and surprised when we go inside for the first time and find out how big they are, for a 34m² house. How important was this space for you while thinking and projecting it?
Every room is designed to the most minute detail in order to offer the guests an experience of total comfort. The toilets especially are the spaces where the theme of bright colour is prevalent.
6- BB Kitchen delights our guests with the technology gathered there, the big window and doors, and most importantly the open concept. What else can you tell us about the kitchen? Maybe you could talk about the place it occupies in the house: in most BB houses it is placed in the centre.
The right space is reserved to every function. These mobile homes have been planned as normal houses, so it’s been spontaneous to set in the centre the spaces of sharing, of living together, the real core of a home, such as the kitchen and the living, close to the terrace.
7- In terms of adaptability of the house interior and terrace, what can franchisees and licensors expect? Is it possible to rethink the space usability?
The project is adaptable to different situations, according to licensors wishes and needs. It is possible to choose between various kind of metal terraces, of different size and design. You can customize colours and materials as you like.
8- When we talk about the environment, do you think BIG BERRY houses can fit everywhere - technically speaking?
Yes, it can be installed wherever you want, but it is preferable to place BB houses on the hillside, along a river or at the seaside. For this reason, I have decided to divide the concept into three models, whose different colour palette is related to the setting.
9- If you had a BB house to call yours, which one would you choose: brown, blue or orange? Where would you place it?
Brown, of course. I love camping, and I’d place near a lake or a river, where there is all the peace you could wish for.
Interviewer
Mariliza Bonesso