Photography: Salva Lopez
11 / 10 / 2023
The focus of his ideas is to be found in simplicity and his great inspiration is to be found in a setting. But this isn’t minimalism, Andrew Trotter tells us, it’s more like a relaxed way of living, warmer and more human, in projects which are mostly born from the interior to the exterior and from their essence to their appearance.
ANA RITA SEVILHA What inspired you to create a multi-disciplinary studio? ANDREW TROTTER Everything was very organic. At the time, I had just started the Openhouse Magazine and had already been working with fashion for many years. And so, when a friend asked me to help him with a small hotel which he wanted to build, I convinced him to allow me to do the project for it. And that is how Masseria Moroseta was born, which was concluded seven years ago. Two years later, I was almost ready to finish two more projects when I met Marcelo Martinez. He ended up convincing me to create an Instagram page and to build a website. This transformed the hobby into work and five years later, we have completed seven projects and there are another 30 in progress. Marcelo became my partner and we love our work.
How difficult is it to carry out architecture that has simplicity at the centre of its ideas? It’s not difficult, but you need to follow your instincts and to keep things simple. But it’s not minimalism, where everything has to be perfect right down to last millimetre — my simplicity is warmer and more relaxed.
In what way does each setting inform each project? The setting is everything! The views, the sun, the wind, the vegetation, the local materials, the traditions and the vernacular architecture. All of these play an important role in design. A house needs to belong to a place, if not it ends up being a type of architecture that can be placed anywhere.
Do you always try to work with local materials, as in the case of the sandstone walls at Villa Cardo? We try as far as possible, to source local materials. Ethically, that’s something we should be doing, and not just with construction materials, but with many other things. But it’s not simply for ethical reasons because, generally, there are many good reasons for using these materials in local buildings. In the case of Villa Cardo, the sandstone was from the local region and provided the perfect insulation, from the cold in the winter and from the sun in the summer. In Puglia we discovered that we often didn’t need air-conditioning. The vaulted ceilings also keep the rooms cool.
How difficult is it to carry out architecture that has simplicity at the centre of its ideas? It’s not difficult, but you need to follow your instincts and to keep things simple. But it’s not minimalism, where everything has to be perfect right down to last millimetre — my simplicity is warmer and more relaxed.
In what way does each setting inform each project? The setting is everything! The views, the sun, the wind, the vegetation, the local materials, the traditions and the vernacular architecture. All of these play an important role in design. A house needs to belong to a place, if not it ends up being a type of architecture that can be placed anywhere.
Do you always try to work with local materials, as in the case of the sandstone walls at Villa Cardo? We try as far as possible, to source local materials. Ethically, that’s something we should be doing, and not just with construction materials, but with many other things. But it’s not simply for ethical reasons because, generally, there are many good reasons for using these materials in local buildings. In the case of Villa Cardo, the sandstone was from the local region and provided the perfect insulation, from the cold in the winter and from the sun in the summer. In Puglia we discovered that we often didn’t need air-conditioning. The vaulted ceilings also keep the rooms cool.
"Masseria Moroseta", Puglia, Italy
"Villa Cardo", Puglia, Italy
"Villa Castelluccio", Puglia, Italy
Are there materials that you prefer to work with, or do you feel that an architect has to be available to work with what makes sense in that place? This depends on where one is building. I’m open to most natural materials and I like many materials for different reasons, but they do have to fit into the project and the location.
What is the importance of know-how and traditional techniques in telling the story of a building? The hand is a powerful tool. We’re losing so many traditional methods and so, I try to use them whenever I can. A house with these textures is a warmer place and one can sense the soul of the people that worked on it.
Your architecture is close to vernacular architecture. How would you define your language? I think it’s important to look at the buildings around us. If a house stands out too much, maybe we’re not doing something right. We need to find inspiration in what surrounds us. Buildings were built for a reason and this goes well beyond mere appearance. That’s why I think we need to grasp those principles and interpret those ideas in something new.
What is the importance of know-how and traditional techniques in telling the story of a building? The hand is a powerful tool. We’re losing so many traditional methods and so, I try to use them whenever I can. A house with these textures is a warmer place and one can sense the soul of the people that worked on it.
Your architecture is close to vernacular architecture. How would you define your language? I think it’s important to look at the buildings around us. If a house stands out too much, maybe we’re not doing something right. We need to find inspiration in what surrounds us. Buildings were built for a reason and this goes well beyond mere appearance. That’s why I think we need to grasp those principles and interpret those ideas in something new.
"10 AM", Athens, Greece
"Borgo Gallana", Puglia, Italy
"Casa Maiora", Puglia, Italy
Apart from the location, what else inspires you and fires your curiosity? I love thinking about houses. There are always ideas going on in my head. Sometimes it’s something I’ve seen or a material or a way of building that provide the starting point and then, from there, I develop a lifestyle. With me, a house is projected from the inside out; it’s more about the way it’s used than about appearance.
"Casolare Scarani", Puglia, Italy
"Casa Soleto", Puglia, Italy
For more information visit Andrew Trotter website.
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