Rude House by STUDIOTAMAT: A Brutalist Revival in the Heart of Rome

Nestled in the tranquil neighborhood of Tor de' Cenci, on the southern edge of Rome, Rude House by STUDIOTAMAT breathes new life into a 120-square-meter apartment overlooking the lush Castelporziano Nature Reserve. This bold residential renovation reimagines brutalist architecture with contemporary softness, balancing exposed raw materials with refined artisanal touches.

Designed for a young couple of lawyers, the apartment is a masterclass in merging brutalist design with warmth, light, and tailored interiors. Large windows and a 40-square-meter southwest-facing terrace flood the space with natural light, offering panoramic views that stretch to the Roman coast. The apartment’s transformation focuses on enhancing flow, light, and materiality, turning it into a serene urban retreat.

Celebrating Raw Beauty: The Core Concept

The project, affectionately named Casa Rude, celebrates the sensual power of materials. Exposed reinforced concrete pillars and beams frame the living spaces, embracing the raw, tactile spirit of brutalism. Yet this rawness is tempered by a thoughtful interplay of textures—terracotta kitchen walls, a perforated brick partition, and natural hydraulic lime cement flooring create a rich, tactile experience throughout the interior.

Walls and ceilings are finished with a unique skim coat, lightened by recycled glass microspheres, adding depth and subtle variation to every surface. The design explores material contrast as a unifying language, harmonizing sleek modern elements with handcrafted details.

A Loft-Like Living Space with Custom Design

The living area is conceived as a continuous, loft-style volume with open-plan zoning. Exposed structural concrete visually ties together the entryway, living room, kitchen, and dining area, all resting on seamless cement flooring. The centerpiece is a bespoke birchwood cube, housing a pantry, wardrobe, and TV-integrated bookcase—efficiently blending storage with spatial division.

Every furnishing within Rude House is a product of custom craftsmanship. The dining table features a solid wood top treated with the traditional Japanese Shou Sugi Ban technique, supported by a ceramic cylinder and raw iron plates. The built-in sofa is meticulously tailored to the owners’ physicality, and the kitchen island, covered in terracotta with a Patagonia marble countertop, cleverly integrates existing concrete pillars into its design.

From Public to Private: A Seamless Transition

A perforated sheet metal pivot door subtly defines the transition to the private quarters. This section includes a guest bedroom, master suite with en-suite bath, a walk-in wardrobe, and a second bathroom complete with a bathtub. Flooring transitions from resin in the living areas to terracotta tiles in the bedrooms and bathrooms, enhancing the spatial hierarchy.

The master bedroom features a custom walnut wall unit with two ribbed glass sliding doors that offer flexibility in separating or merging the bedroom and bathroom areas. This adaptive design approach reflects the home’s overall ethos: thoughtful, functional, and deeply personal.

Outdoor Living Redefined

Spanning the full southwest length of the apartment, the terrace is a true extension of the interior. With breathtaking views and ambient Roman sunsets, it’s designed for both relaxation and entertainment. An outdoor kitchen in travertine integrates with the parapet and built-in bench seating, while wooden slats add a warm contrast to the stone. A brise-soleil conceals the utility systems and frames an outdoor shower with direct bedroom access, seamlessly blending indoor comfort with alfresco living.

 A Brutalist Haven with a Human Touch

With Rude House, STUDIOTAMAT creates more than just a home—it crafts a living experience that’s rooted in material honesty, personalized design, and architectural harmony. This modern Roman apartment embraces brutalist aesthetics without sacrificing softness, offering a tranquil escape from urban life through layers of light, texture, and tactile craftsmanship.

All Photographs are works of Serena Eller Vainicher