A 50-year old Ficus growing within the main living area literally takes centerstage in CRA’s Greenary as the International design and innovation office designs the whole house around the 10-meter-high tree. The living quarters surround the tree's leafy branches up to the top. According to CRA, the project is the first step of CRA’s master plan for Mutti tomato company, which calls for a closer integration between nature and the built environment.The perennial tropical plant is housed in the middle of the farmhouse south hall. CRA has created a sequence of interconnected rooms all around the tree. The six domestic spaces – three above the entrance, three below it – will be dedicated to specific activities such as yoga, music, reading, and dining.“The project starts from the spiritual symbolism of the Ficus tree, whose various species are revered in many parts of the world: the Ficus religiosa is venerated by Buddhists as the Bodhi tree, under which Siddhartha achieved enlightenment, while the Ficus microcarpa adorns the ancient parks of Guangzhou in China. The plant is also well-suited for indoor living conditions, as it enjoys stable temperatures all year long,” explains CRA.“We wanted the design to reflect our innate ‘biophilia,’ the natural impulse to connect with other forms of life, as put forward by the great Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner at CRA practice and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).“Inhabiting each of the rooms will be a bit like inhabiting a tree,” says Andrea Cassi, Project Manager at CRA. “As the project breaks down traditional separations between rooms and floors, the ficus becomes the organizing principle of a contemporary interpretation of the Raumplan for the age of BIM. Every level provides a different perspective on nature.”The Greenary will be built in the countryside close to Parma, Northern Italy as a private residence. The building is located a few hundred meters from the Mutti factory, for which CRA is developing the master plan after winning an international competition in early 2017, states CRA.Click on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the project.http://www.blouinartinfo.com/    Founder: Louise Blouin   Read more