Across Southern Europe, thousands of historic estates, farmhouses and industrial buildings sit abandoned. Most owners dream of restoring them but don't know how to make the investment financially sustainable.

This is where destination design begins.

Our approach

We begin by understanding what already exists.

We study the site's history.

Its heritage, its identity and the stories that shaped it.

We read the landscape.

Its topography, climate, biodiversity and the relationship between nature and architecture.

We identify its potential.

Exploring opportunities to create a sustainable and economically viable future.

We shape a unique identity.

Defining the vision, the narrative and the character of the place.

We design memorable experiences.

Creating meaningful reasons for people to visit, stay and return.

We develop the brand.

From visual identity and storytelling to products, signage and communication.

We guide the implementation.

Coordinating the project from concept to completion with the right collaborators.

Transforming places into destinations with meaning, identity and lasting value.

Case Study of site potential

The challenge

An old Sicilian family mansion has been passed down through generations.

Today, the heirs face a dilemma shared by many families across Italy.

The building requires substantial restoration, but the cost is far beyond what the family can afford. Selling the estate would mean losing a place filled with memories and history.

Bringing in outside investors could finance the restoration, but would inevitably reduce the family's freedom and influence over the future of the property.

The question becomes:

How can a historic property begin financing

its own restoration without losing its identity?

Our proposal :

Instead of renovating the entire estate at once,

we propose restoring only 20% of the property.

The objective is simple:

Create a beautiful, revenue-generating space that immediately begins producing income while preserving the authenticity of the site.

Every new activity contributes to financing the next phase of restoration.

The estate grows organically, one chapter at a time.

Proposed Concept :

The Exhibition House

VOLPE STELLA

An exhibition house where Mediterranean craftsmanship,

contemporary art and forgotten places meet.

Why Volpe Stella?

Every place has a soul.

Some reveal it immediately.

Others ask you to slow down before they begin to speak.

Volpe Stella was born from two symbols

that have always belonged to the Mediterranean landscape.

The first is the fox.

Not because it is cunning in the negative sense of the word, but because it understands something essential: survival is not about strength. It is about adaptation.

The Mediterranean has never been an easy land. It has known droughts, fires, invasions, earthquakes, changing civilizations and shifting borders. Yet every spring, wild flowers bloom again between ancient stones. Olive trees continue to grow from fractured trunks. Prickly pears thrive where little else survives.

Like the fox, this landscape never stops inventing new ways to live.

The second symbol is the star.

A star has always guided travellers, sailors and dreamers across the Mediterranean Sea. It reminds us that even when the path is uncertain, there is always a direction to follow.

Together, Volpe Stella becomes more than a name.

It is the meeting between intelligence and hope.

Between resilience and imagination.

Between the earth beneath our feet and the horizon that keeps calling us forward.

It is the belief that every forgotten place can become meaningful again.

That beauty often begins in neglected landscapes.

That creativity appears where others only see limits.

For artists, travellers and curious minds, Volpe Stella is an invitation.

A place where ideas are free to wander.

Where nature becomes a source of inspiration.

Where the Mediterranean teaches us that abundance is not created by control,

but by learning to work with what already exists.

Just as the prickly pear transforms arid ground into fruit, and the fox finds a path where none seems visible, Volpe Stella celebrates the quiet art of creating possibilities.

Because every landscape carries a story.

Sometimes, all it needs is someone willing to see the stars hidden within it.

Vision to destination design

The entrance hall and the first vaulted room become the public face of the estate.

Rather than transforming the mansion into a conventional hotel or event venue, the space becomes an Exhibition House dedicated to contemporary Mediterranean craftsmanship.

Inspired by the growing community of artists, ceramicists, designers and artisans relocating to south-eastern Sicily—particularly around Noto—the house offers a carefully curated setting where exceptional makers can exhibit their work.

The building itself becomes part of the exhibition.

Visitors do not simply enter a gallery.

They discover an architectural ruin brought back to life.

Why it works

Only a limited investment is required.

The existing architecture becomes the strongest design element.

The imperfect walls, weathered textures and historic character become part of the visitor experience rather than something to hide.

Instead of competing with luxury retail, the project offers authenticity.

An experience impossible to reproduce inside a new building.

Long-term vision

Once the exhibition house begins generating income, new spaces can gradually be restored.

Potential future phases could include:

• artist residencies

• botanical gardens

• temporary exhibitions

• outdoor cultural events

• artisan workshops

• design pop-ups

• a café

• guest suites

• landscape restoration

• educational programmes

The estate evolves over time, financed by its own activity.

Not through speculation,

but through culture.

The entrance:

Before and after

Creating a welcoming entrance

The first intervention focuses on the property's main entrance, transforming it into a welcoming gateway while preserving the character of the historic building.

Before any work begins, structural engineers and architects will assess the stability of the existing foundations and ensure that all publicly accessible areas comply with current safety standards.

Rather than rebuilding, the project embraces a philosophy of minimum intervention.

The original architecture is retained and celebrated.

The façade is carefully cleaned, damaged plaster is consolidated where necessary, and the existing staircase is restored to provide safe access while respecting its original proportions.

To give the entrance a distinctive identity, a contemporary mural inspired by Mediterranean botanical landscapes is introduced on the upper façade, subtly incorporating the name of the exhibition house.

A low-water Mediterranean garden frames the entrance, using native planting that requires minimal maintenance while softening the architecture and reinforcing the dialogue between nature and heritage.

Vegetation is also encouraged to colonise selected areas of the roof and walls, allowing the building to age gracefully and express a balance between restoration and the surrounding landscape.

The result is an elegant arrival sequence that respects the history of the estate while announcing its new cultural purpose.

Inside:

Before and after

A contemporary interior within a historic shell

The intervention focuses on preserving the building's architectural character while creating an interior that meets contemporary standards for exhibitions and public use.

The historic walls are carefully consolidated, repaired and finished with natural lime plaster, creating a bright, calm environment without erasing the proportions and identity of the original architecture.

Rather than recreating a period interior, the project introduces a clean and timeless aesthetic that allows the building itself to remain the focal point.

A compacted gravel floor provides a practical, low-impact solution that stabilises the existing ground while visually extending the Mediterranean landscape into the building.

The transition between garden and interior becomes almost seamless, reinforcing the feeling that nature continues to inhabit the space.

The first gallery is deliberately finished in soft white tones to maximise natural light, while the adjoining room adopts warm ochre walls inspired by traditional Sicilian pigments, creating a more intimate atmosphere for exhibitions.

Custom lighting suspended from sculptural tree branches introduces a handcrafted element that echoes the surrounding landscape.

The blue steel frames become a contemporary interpretation of traditional windows, creating a subtle dialogue between heritage and modern design.

The result is a flexible exhibition space that can accommodate a changing programme of contemporary craftsmanship—from fashion and leather goods to ceramics, sculpture and collectible design—while remaining deeply rooted in its Mediterranean setting.

The architecture is renewed, not reconstructed. The history remains visible, while the spaces are adapted for contemporary life.

Memory in a Bottle

Some places stay with us long after we leave.

Not because of what we saw, but because of what we smelled.

Fragrance has a unique ability to awaken memories, reconnect us to emotions, and instantly transport us back to a landscape, a season or a forgotten moment.

For Volpe Stella, we imagined a signature perfume inspired by the Fico d'India—the iconic prickly pear cactus that shapes the Sicilian landscape surrounding the estate.

More than a fragrance, it becomes a sensory memory of the place:

its warm stone walls, wild gardens, Mediterranean light and slow summer evenings.

The bottle and visual identity are designed as an extension of the exhibition house itself.

Botanical illustrations, architectural references and refined packaging create an object that visitors can take home—a tangible memory of their experience.

Developed in collaboration with a perfumer, the fragrance could become part of a wider brand universe, extending the identity of the estate beyond its walls.

Alongside exhibitions and cultural events, it creates an additional source of revenue while strengthening the emotional connection between visitors and the place.

A perfume is more than a souvenir.

It is a way of carrying a place with you.

Example financial scenario

Initial investment

Phase 1 (20% of the property)

• Structural assessment & permits: €8,000

• Stabilisation works: €20,000

• Lime plaster & painting: €15,000

• Blue steel windows and doors: €30,000

• Gravel flooring: €4,000

• Electrical installation & lighting: €8,000

• Mediterranean garden: €12,000

• Signage, mural & branding: €6,000

• Furniture & display system: €10,000

Estimated investment

≈ €110,000–140,000

Running costs

One of the strengths of the concept is that operating costs remain very low.

Monthly

Gardener (2 visits/month)

≈ €250

Cleaning after events

≈ €250

Window cleaning

≈ €120

Electricity

≈ €150

Insurance

≈ €200

Small maintenance reserve

≈ €250

Estimated monthly costs

≈ €1,200

Even if you double that to be conservative, you're still only around €2,000/month.

Revenue opportunities

1. Exhibition rental

The room can be rented to artists or designers.

Example:

• 2 exhibitions/month

• €700 each

≈ €1,400/month

2. Brand pop-ups

Luxury brands increasingly seek unusual locations.

3-day rental

€2,500–5,000

Only 6 per year

≈ €18,000–30,000

3. Small weddings

40–70 guests

Venue only

€3,500–6,000/day

10 weddings

≈ €35,000–60,000/year

4. Photoshoots

Fashion

Jewellery

Editorial

Interior

≈ €1,000/day

15 bookings

≈ €15,000/year

5. Workshops

Ceramics

Botanical illustration

Textiles

Perfume

2 workshops/month

≈ €500

≈ €12,000/year

Estimated annual income

Conservative scenario

• Pop-ups €20k

• Weddings €40k

• Photoshoots €15k

• Workshops €12k

• Exhibitions €15k

≈ €100,000/year

Running costs

≈ €20,000/year

Remaining

≈ €80,000/year

which can progressively finance the restoration of the rest of the estate.

Every forgotten place has a future.

Some become hotels.

Some become cultural destinations.

Some become homes once again.

The challenge is not deciding what to build.

It is discovering what the place wants to become.

If you own a property with untapped potential,

we would be delighted to help you explore its possibilities.

From site potential studies to complete project development, we accompany owners through every stage of transformation.

Let's start the conversation.