Officina Magisafi (OM), the all-encompassing architecture and design studio nestled at the heart of the Seriana Valley (in the province of Bergamo), presents D114, a normal and simple apartment. ‘Normal’, because it is a project measuring up to the everyday reality of life and therefore experienced by people whom OM likes to call “super normal,” an oxymoron superlative coined by Jasper Morrison in his book A Book of Things (2015).

OM’s concrete, quiet and conscious approach is found in the same idea of “super normality,” for which we do not limit ourselves to visual appearance but the true perception of quality, design and architecture is discovered in the use of space over time. D114 apartment’s roots are found in the high craftsmanship and contemporaneity of the hidden Vertova Valley. This particular project exemplifies OM’s ‘precious simplicity’ and ‘sought-after normality’ which at first might be conceived as oxymorons, but then are easily recognised as coexisting factors in the studio’s work. Never predictable, but never extravagant, the practice favours a minimal, yet not reductive aesthetic; refined and never approximate; impeccable in quality, and poor in excess; rich in detail, even if invisible; celebrating normality and simplicity in their noblest expression.

Founded in 2012, Officina Magisafi is an all-encompassing architectural and design practice operating from the heart of the tucked-away Val Seriana, moments away from Bergamo and Milan. It is precisely from this unique location, their home, that Officina’s approach takes shape. They observe, study, and collaborate with the traditionally rooted knowledge and craftsmanship of the territory that, almost unexpectedly, use vanguardist machinery and some of the most innovative technologies. The strongly felt Bergamasco identity of co-founders Claudio Acquaviva and Debora Bordogni has informed their distinctive concrete method. They focus on the tekne, the tangible mastery of architecture, materials, and spaces of living. The technique is their absolute truth, the objectivity that they apply to any project they work on, and the defining element that renders their designs timeless and enduring. Officina Magisafi collaborates with a network of selected local artisans whose values inspire and pass on the shared appreciation of the basis of any living space: they are process-driven, believing that the determining key is in the building through a human-centric approach. The result, whether it be for private residences, commercial interiors or hospitality projects, is always functional spaces that speak of the intended user, stripped of any unnecessary noises. From their headquarters, a historical building in Val Vertova, Officina Magisafi doesn’t focus on projects, but rather on the creation of a methodology that inserts them in all of the creation stages: from conception, design, management, and process to the final realisation, they’re signing every step with their silent essence.