A 10-metre-tall ficus tree grows through the centre of the living space in The Greenery, a farmhouse renovation and extension by studio Carlo Ratti Associati and architect Italo Rota in Italy.
Located in the countryside outside Parma, the home was designed by Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA) and Italo Rota for Francesco Mutti, the CEO of tomato company Mutti.
Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota have converted a farmhouse in Italy
Having already won an international competition in 2017 to redesign the Mutti factory, the architects were invited to design the CEO's "forever home" in a nearby farmhouse and granary.
Named The Greenery ? a combination of the words green and granary ? the house is intended to "blur the boundaries between the natural and artificial". This led to the large ficus tree, named Alma, being installed in the farmhouse's new open-plan living space and kitchen. The living room and kitchen are arranged around a tree
"The 2oth-century Italian architect Carlo Scarpa once said, 'between a tree and a house, choose the tree'," explained CRA founder Carlo Ratti.
"While I resonate with his sentiment, I think we can go a step further and put the two together," he continued. "The tree stands in a new weathered steel-topped extension that abuts the original farmhouse, sunk slightly into the ground and featuring a fully-glazed, south-facing wall and skylights."
The ficus tree is 10 metres tall
Inside the living space, a wea...