When Nature and Architecture Become One: A Conversation with Dara Huang

Transcendentalist philosophers have long shared the idea that humans and nature are equal forces that should coexist in harmony. The notion has since expanded to the architecture world, with Frank Lloyd Wright shedding light on the term “organic architecture” as early as the 1900s. In recent years, driven by an increased interest in living closer to nature, architects continue to delve into the concept of integrating interior and exterior, blurring out visual and physical boundaries to bring landscapes indoors.

In Sky-Frame’s latest film, part of the series “My point of view”, a conversation with architect Dara Huang explores this notion, questioning how architecture can merge nature, sustainability and lifestyle within its form, without relying on more technology or materials to do so.

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©Marcello Mariana

The cinematographic video presents a house where the materiality and form extends to the landscape, allowing the outside and interior living spaces to become one. Set between a dense forest and a lake, the shape is dictated by the context of the site, with each room having a different experience with nature – whether it be through views and terraces that overlook the water, or a central garden that embraces the landscape of pre-existing trees while providing natural light, ventilation, and the impression of a bigger interior space.

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©Marcello Mariana
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©Marcello Mariana

The design promotes a calm lifestyle with moments of pause and reflection in a comfortable, sustainable space that respects its surroundings and diffuses in them. The use of Sky-Frame Swiss-made frameless windows and sliding doors makes this fusion possible, integrating the building and natural spaces into a coherent whole while offering unique spatial experiences with eye-catching views. In this way, the house embodies the sky, frames it, and takes full ownership of it, maximizing the connection between architecture and the outdoors.

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©Marcello Mariana
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©Marcello Mariana
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©Marcello Mariana

Beyond a window, Sky-Frame fades away boundaries to create a spiritual space, allowing users to live in harmony with nature – something that has always been around them, but they perhaps haven’t had the chance to fully experience.

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Cite: Valeria Montjoy. "When Nature and Architecture Become One: A Conversation with Dara Huang" 23 Nov 2021. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/972125/when-nature-and-architecture-become-one-a-conversation-with-dara-huang> ISSN 0719-8884

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