Villa Tree is a new luxury residence located in the picturesque village of Castagnola on the outskirts of Lugano. Designed by Lugano-based real estate and architectural consultancy firm StudioGest SA, it appears to hover above the waters of Lake Lugano. More than just a home, it is conceived as an inhabitable sculpture with a strong architectural identity.
Completed in 2024 after just a year of construction, Villa Tree is now one of Lugano’s most exclusive luxury homes. The building is composed of two stacked parallelepipeds. The larger upper volume extends outwards, creating covered outdoor areas on three sides ideal for use in bad weather or for enjoying the lake breeze on hot summer days. Despite its 2,550 cubic metre volume, the building does not dominate the landscape. The architects took care to differentiate the aesthetics and structures of the two above-ground volumes (a third level below houses garages and services) to reduce their visual impact and introduce a sense of variety and dynamism. The hand-laid natural stone plinth anchors the structure physically and symbolically to the steep hillside descending from the summit of Monte Brè towards the lake. The upper floor is constructed in laminated timber, a material that combines lightness, strength and versatility. Its facades alternate plaster surfaces, large sliding glass windows and vertical wooden slats, creating an elegant interplay between the architecture and its surroundings.
The harmonious combination of stone, wood and textured ceramic continues indoors. The solid natural stone walls coordinate with floor tiles from the Lithos collection by Cotto d’Este. Chosen in the Desert colour, a 90×90 cm format and an exclusive 14 mm thickness, these porcelain stoneware tiles extend over an area of more than 160 m2 in all the main living spaces, including the lounge, bedrooms, bathrooms and circulation areas. Outdoors, the same tiles are used on the terraces, walkways and poolside, this time in a 20 mm bush-hammered version that is laid both traditionally and on raised supports. The ceilings are finished in timber slats laid lengthwise to echo the graphic and decorative design of the upper volume’s southern and western façades. Large frameless sliding windows open to uninterrupted views, flooding the interiors with light and offering a sweeping 270° panorama across Lugano, the lake and the surrounding peaks, some soft, some jagged. The landscape becomes a living, ever-changing backdrop to the interiors.
At the heart of the villa lies a panoramic open-plan space with living, dining and kitchen areas. When the windows are fully open, the living room extends naturally into the covered outdoor zone. The bedrooms are designed to maximise comfort, while the bathrooms reflect a careful focus on well-being. Here, Cotto d’Este again takes centre stage with its Wonderwall collection: durable ultra-thin, large-format laminated Kerlite porcelain stoneware that combines the decorative appeal of wallpaper with the durability of ceramic. Alongside these surfaces, extensive use is made of wood, crafted by a skilled local artisanal workshop.
Villa Tree is also equipped with an advanced home automation system integrated with RVCS technology that allows for intuitive, centralised control of lighting, air conditioning, shading and security. This system adds the final touch to a state-of-the-art project that clearly illustrates StudioGest’s architectural philosophy: sustainably balancing the use of natural materials with forms, functions and the surrounding environment while maintaining a focus on the well-being of the inhabitants.
