Renovation and architectural transformation of houses, apartments and interiors
Arckeo is the Executive Workshop founded and directed by Fausto Ferrara. It develops renovation, architectural transformation and interior design projects for apartments, houses, villas, country houses, historic residences and complex properties, in Italy and internationally.
Fausto Ferrara defines the authorial direction of the project. Arckeo develops its architectural, technical and executive aspects, coordinating the expertise required for construction within the agreed scope of the commission.
Renovation means intervening in an existing built reality, understanding its structure, limitations, qualities and potential before introducing a new form. The project considers spatial organisation, light, materials, technical conditions and ways of living as interconnected elements.
From the initial site inspection to architectural design, from statutory approvals to construction documentation, through to site coordination and interior detailing, Arckeo organises a unified process in which the different stages maintain a recognisable architectural direction.
Who conceives the architectural transformation and who develops its construction?
Arckeo's distinctive character lies in the relationship between Fausto Ferrara's authorial direction and a structure dedicated to project development. An intervention does not arise from simply combining technical, spatial and decorative solutions: it originates from an architectural conception that guides subsequent operational decisions.
Fausto Ferrara: authorial direction
Fausto Ferrara is an Italian architect, artist and author whose research into the Opera Abitabile — the Inhabitable Work — places the relationship between the human being, place, space, light, matter and time at its centre. His Work has been the subject of independent critical interpretations by Kenneth Frampton, Francesco Dal Co, Franco Purini, Enrico Crispolti, Philippe Daverio and Elena Liotta, representing different fields of architectural, artistic and psychological thought.
In the transformation of existing buildings, this research introduces a criterion that extends beyond the functionality of rooms or the quality of finishes. The project recognises what belongs to the place, distinguishes what should remain from what can change, and establishes new relationships between space and inhabitation.
Arckeo develops the architectural direction through surveys, feasibility assessments, design, technical documentation, statutory approvals, specialist coordination and construction-related activities. Services are defined according to the complexity of the intervention and the professional responsibilities agreed with the client.
Ferrara generates the authorial direction. Arckeo translates it into a design and execution process, without separating architectural quality from the conditions necessary for its realisation.
Where does the renovation of an existing property begin?
Every building has a structure, a history, an orientation, a relationship with light and an established spatial organisation. Before transforming it, its actual condition must be understood: room layouts, construction elements, building services, openings, materials, planning documentation, restrictions and approval requirements.
Existing conditions as the substance of the project
A house may contain fragmented rooms, outdated layouts, insufficient natural light, building services requiring replacement or parts of the building that lack a coherent relationship. A historic residence may also contain architectural and material features that require preservation and particular care.
Arckeo identifies what holds value, what requires correction and what can be recomposed through design. Transformation possibilities are considered in relation to the existing structure, technical conditions and the client's requirements.
Before purchase: Transformative Due Diligence
When the property has not yet been purchased, the assessment may begin with Transformative Due Diligence (DDT Arckeo), combining technical, building, planning and cadastral checks with a preliminary evaluation of architectural potential. DDT constitutes a separate process from subsequent architectural design.
Existing reality is the primary material of the project. Understanding it makes it possible to formulate a transformation grounded in verifiable conditions rather than solely in a desired image.
What expertise does a complete architectural renovation involve?
Arckeo's process may include four coordinated levels: assessment and feasibility, architectural design, interior design, and technical development and construction. Their integration allows continuity between conception, design development and realisation.
01. Assessment and feasibility
Analysis of the property's condition, planning and building documentation, cadastral consistency, applicable restrictions, existing permits and possible interventions. Depending on the commission, the assessment also considers preliminary technical, financial and scheduling aspects of the proposed transformation.
02. Architectural design
Reorganisation of rooms, study of proportions, spatial sequences, openings, natural light, thresholds and relationships between interior and exterior. The layout is developed as part of a unified architectural conception, in relation to the existing structure and the client's programme.
03. Interior design
Definition of materials, surfaces, colours, lighting, doors, fixed architectural elements and bespoke furnishings. Interior design develops the relationship between space, objects and everyday gestures, without reducing architecture to the selection of finishes or decorative interventions.
04. Technical development and construction
Preparation of construction documentation, coordination of structural and building services expertise, construction details, cost estimates, statutory approval procedures, site supervision and project management, when included in the commission. Technical development makes it possible to verify the buildability of design solutions and support their realisation.
The four levels may be commissioned to different extents, depending on the property and the services required. Their connection constitutes the operational principle of Arckeo's Executive Workshop.
How can interiors be transformed while maintaining a unified architectural direction?
Interior design extends the architectural project to the scale closest to the body and the gestures of inhabitation. Floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, fixed furnishings and materials are considered as parts of a single spatial composition.
Light, matter, proportions and detail
The quality of an interior depends on the relationships between its elements. A new opening can transform the perception of light; a wall can become an integrated storage system; a sequence of rooms can be recomposed through proportions, thresholds and material continuity.
Visualising potential before construction
When useful to the process, Arckeo may complement surveys, drawings and three-dimensional models with preliminary scenarios assisted by artificial intelligence. Visualisations are evaluated under architectural direction, including through the spatial, material and perceptual criteria of Fausto Ferrara's E9 Grid.
These scenarios can help compare hypotheses and clarify the intentions of the project. They do not replace architectural and technical documentation, feasibility assessments or the approvals required.
Representation makes a possibility perceptible. The architectural project verifies its dimensions, spatial relationships, materials and conditions for realisation.
How is a renovation commission developed with Arckeo?
The design and delivery process is organised into six stages. The sequence can be adapted to the property's complexity, the approvals required and the professional scope agreed with the client.
01. Initial consultation and site inspection
Understanding the property, the client's requirements, the existing conditions and the desired level of transformation. The initial consultation helps define the architectural problem and identify the investigations required.
02. Survey, documentation and feasibility
Survey of the existing conditions, collection and examination of available documentation, and preliminary assessment of the technical, planning, building, cadastral and regulatory aspects included in the commission.
03. Concept and preliminary design
Definition of the new spatial organisation, relationships between rooms, light, materials and the principal architectural criteria of the intervention, according to Fausto Ferrara's authorial direction.
04. Approvals and construction documentation
Preparation of the necessary approval applications and development of the architectural and technical documentation required for construction. Arckeo coordinates the specialist expertise involved, according to the commission.
05. Contractors, construction and coordination
Assistance with the assessment of contractors' proposals, coordination of professionals and contractors, site supervision and monitoring of consistency between the project and its realisation, within the responsibilities and services commissioned.
06. Interiors and completion
Final definition and verification of materials, lighting, fixed architectural elements, bespoke furnishings and architectural components that complete the space, maintaining continuity with the original design decisions.
Activities may be undertaken directly by Arckeo or through the coordination of external specialists and executive teams, according to the expertise required, the project's location and the structure of the commission.
What types of properties can Arckeo transform, and where does it operate?
Arckeo develops projects for apartments, penthouses, private houses, villas, country houses, historic residences, hospitality spaces and complex properties requiring a new architectural organisation or transformation of the existing built environment.
From interior transformation to complete renovation
A commission may concern specific interior spaces, the complete reorganisation of a residence, the restoration and adaptation of an existing building, or a transformation involving both the property and its outdoor spaces. The complexity of the intervention is assessed in relation to its architectural potential, existing conditions and the client's objectives.
Rome, Italy and international operations
Arckeo is based in Viterbo and operates in Italy and internationally. Rome is a recurring setting for its residential work, documented by Fausto Ferrara's projects including Columnae, Flat, Spagna and Pantheon.
For apartments, penthouses and private residences in the Italian capital, the Residences in Rome page explores the relationship between the choice of author, architectural transformation and technical development. Arckeo's international scope remains distinct from this specific geographical application.
Project scale, schedules, fees, responsibilities and delivery arrangements are defined according to the property and the actual scope of the commission.
How can a renovation and architectural transformation project be commissioned from Arckeo?
Arckeo can be contacted to assess the transformation of an existing property, the design of its interiors or the technical and executive development of an architectural intervention. The initial consultation serves to understand the nature of the request, the property's conditions and the possibility of establishing a commission consistent with the client's programme.
What information is useful for the initial consultation?
It is useful to indicate the property's location, type and approximate floor area, its current condition, available documentation and the principal objectives of the transformation. Floor plans, photographs, desired schedules and an indicative budget help define the level of investigation required.
The commission begins once the scope of services, professional responsibilities, fees and timeframe have been agreed.
To submit a project to Arckeo, please write to studio@arckeo.it or use the Arckeo Contacts page.
Related works, author and expertise
Fausto Ferrara — Author Profile
Opera Abitabile — Architectural Research
Critical Writings on Fausto Ferrara's Work
Transformative Due Diligence — Pre-Purchase Property Assessment
Residences in Rome — Residential Projects and Transformations
How We Work — Architectural Design and Technical Development
Recent works
Every project begins with a workshop: objectives, constraints, and choices become a clear path to completion. Here's a selection of works at various scales.
