International design and innovation office, carlo ratti associatti (cra) uses a ficus tree as the fulcrum of a progressive residential design in parma, northern italy as the first step of cra’s 2017 winning master plan for mutti, a tomato company, which calls for a closer integration between nature and the built environment, the designers present a project that disrupts conventional demarcations between rooms and floors; offering instead a stepped-plan that breaks away from a stereotyped typology. The farmhouse, which is now undergoing renovations, is arranged with its program centered around a ficus religiosa that is growing inside the main living space and being ten meters tall. using a stepped format, encircling the tree, a sequence of interconnected rooms give rise to six domestic spaces – three above the entrance, three below it – each dedicated to a specific activity viz., practicing yoga, listening to music, reading, eating together, sharing a drink, keeping a wine cellar and storing dry cured ham for aging. Each space is located at a distinct level of the tree, which is a three-dimensional sequence that adheres to the theory of raumplan developed by Adolf Loos. Considering that the dwelling opens out into the expansive orchard, where donkeys and other animals roam around, the notion of biophilia, which refers to the natural drive to interact with other forms of life, is applicable in this situation. Additionally, each level offers a unique understanding of the natural world. In point of fact, in order to create an ideal environment for the tree to flourish, the designers maximized the amount of natural light that comes in through a south-facing glass wall that is ten meters (33 feet) high. This wall is the perfect complement to the all-season tree that is fifty years old and enjoys consistent temperatures throughout the entire year. Because of this, the house, which is referred to as the “greenary,” is neither a tree-house or a house that is perched on a tree. The structure is a home that was built around a tree. It is paradoxical because for the designers, occupying each of the rooms will be something similar to inhabiting a tree, yet for us, the tree is the primary resident of this area. Take a look at the pictures on the website indiaartndesign.com.
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