New Geologies

Designers: Roderick Wyllie, Michal Kapitulnik, Pema Wessells
Graphics: McCalman.Co
Stone Supplier: Sacco

In dialogue with the existing gardens and architecture at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, New Geologies is a collection of stone and aluminum pieces that reconsiders the essence of the historic Italian garden. Each piece explores the contrast between raw natural beauty and the precision of contemporary materials.
The collection explores core elements of the Italian garden through the lens of a contemporary landscape context. This is a continuation of a line of inquiry within our design practice—fusing elemental, regional materials with unexpected forms and finishes to reveal the unexpected. Essential to the success of our work is collaborations with local quarries and fabricators. For this collection the stone is sourced from near Chiavenna. Brushed aluminum fins notch and slot to create structural bases that are both diaphanous and substantial.

New Geologies celebrates the sense of place that each material embodies, through the exploration of the elemental and sensual potential of each piece of stone. The form and material expression of each piece is an exercise in unearthing the essential character and narratives from the site.

Surfacedesign, Inc. is a landscape architecture and urban design firm based in San Francisco, California. Integral to the ideology of the practice, Surfacedesign focuses on cultivating a sense of connection to the built and natural world, pushing people to engage with the landscape in new ways. Our approach emphasizes and celebrates the unique context and imaginative potential of each project. Our studio’s design process is rooted in asking novel questions and listening to a site and its users — a process that has led to engaging and inspiring landscapes that are rugged, contemporary and crafted.