Il Nido (ital. for „the nest“) is a project for a micro-hotel in a small town situated on the coast of Gulf of Salerno in the region of Campania (Italy).

The construction is planned to be an add-on to an existing historical villa, erected during the 19th century close to the seaside. The villa was built on a steep slope together with several terraces next to a high vertical rock wall. The one-room-hotel will be erected on the estate’s highest terrace in approx. 100 m distance to the main building. It offers a splendid view to the historic core of the small town, its surrounding spectacular landscape and the sea. The idea was to create a special place (a „nest“) for lovers and newlyweds but also for romantic explorers.

Il Nido contains a small sleeping room, a panoramic terrace and an open air kitchen with a barbecue grill and an open air shower. All other facilities are available in the main villa where a small apartment with an additional kitchen, dining room, a rooftop terrace and a bathroom are accessible through a small bridge linking the building with one of the terraces.
The building site is not accessible by motorized vehicles and also the installation of cranes is not possible. That’s why all building materials and elements are sized to be transported by donkeys and the construction crew itself.
Besides high aesthetic demands with a minimal use of materials, the focus was on sustainability, construction ecology, low-tech and low-budget solutions: Most of the materials are of local origin, like natural stone for the retaining wall, softwood for the building and tiles typical for the region. The buildings walls and roof are insulated with sheep’s and rock wool. For „natural air-conditioning“, a typical vegetated pergola made of wood (like those being used for the local citriculture), is used for the buildings shadowing. The shape of Il Nido was strongly influenced by the local conditions – the high rock wall, the lifted terrace and its particular geometry and the great vista.