The "Home" Concept
Casa Verdi is a Sicilian transcultural house. The first objective of the space is to welcome sustainable travelers and, those that, with no need of categorization, are just searching for a clean, relaxed and inspiring environment where to spend some time in Catania city center while getting involved with an everchanging urban community.
In April ´2017 the house was opened by the initiative of five Airbnb hosts passionate about the idea of building a "home" designed to provide high hospitality standards for the travelers´ community. We were motivated by the "Community Living" movement which could be applied to simplify the hospitality processes, finding a nice and interesting work-life balance in the meanwhile.
For those who are employed in the project, Casa Verdi is a lifestyle so that higher social value for those who are guests can be genuinely created. The big change of perspective come, in fact, as soon as, thanks to Airbnb philosophy, we understood the unlimited value which can come out of human interactions and relationships.
Random human exchanges and interactions are therefore fostered with perspective. The interactions have to happen in respect to the individuality of each one so to create that balance between "Private" and "Commons" which helps our well being.
The Transculturality
The House is thoughtfully designed so to exalt the beauty of the small and so to easily allow transformations as needed. The concept of transculturality leads, in fact, to something unfixed, everchanging and, sometimes, chaotic at a superficial glance. It means, for us, sharing values in a community aware environment, to be able to take the better from the intelligent applications of the different cultures and customs, in a way that people can get enriched with each other.
Travelers are usually very wise about transculturality, having acquired some experience over their travels or just because they are usually in the best mindset to share values and perspectives with each other. To move oftentimes means to be able to adapt to some form of discomfort and change, it helps make clear our standpoint as individuals representing somehow our culture. It can lead to broadening our own perspective over life and social dynamics in general. Moreover, moving and "contaminating" each other with new and old ideas is probably the highest output of being engaged with other individuals.
The Vision
We believe that Community living in transcultural houses is becoming a crucial experience in our life path as citizens of a single World. Through social houses with different objectives and philosophies, we will experience many different ways of approaching the Stranger, of connecting with each other and, of reconciling with our public and private spheres.
Casa Verdi want to be attractive to those changemakers and social entrepreneurs who are in needs of an everchanging and yet peaceful environment where to test and confront thoughts and ideas, where to find human capital, where to be connected with the local community, where to link their ideas to already ongoing projects, so for Casa Verdi to become a social hub for the new ecological economy to spring out in Sicily.
