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Blurring Boundaries: Integrating the Exterior as a More Space
In contemporary architecture, the line between interior and exterior has become increasingly blurred, allowing outdoor spaces to become natural extensions of the home. This integration not only visually expands living areas but also enriches the everyday experience by connecting residents with their surroundings.
The Evolution of the Interior-Exterior Connection in Modern Architecture
Throughout the 20th century, visionary architects have explored ways to merge the interior with the exterior, creating spaces that harmoniously interact with their surroundings. This approach not only transforms spatial perception but also enriches everyday experience by connecting inhabitants with the surrounding nature.
An iconic example is Philip Johnson's Glass House , built in 1949 in Connecticut. This dwelling, with its fully glazed walls, eliminates visual barriers, allowing the surrounding landscape to become an integral part of the living space. The absence of traditional walls creates a sense of total immersion in the natural environment, turning the house into a haven of serenity and openness.
Another notable example is Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House , completed in 1951 in Illinois. Raised on stilts and surrounded by glass, this residence establishes a direct relationship with nature, blurring the boundaries between the built environment and the natural landscape. The minimalist structure and its location along the Fox River allow the surroundings to dictate the atmosphere of the home, marking a milestone in modern architecture.
However, beyond the extensive use of glass, other architects have explored indoor-outdoor integration through spatial and material continuity. A prime example is the Kaufmann Desert House , designed by Richard Neutra in 1946 in Palm Springs, California. This project demonstrates how the relationship between interior and exterior can be achieved through continuous terraces and glass walls that allow the arid landscape to enter the interior, blurring conventional boundaries. The outdoor pool, surrounded by the desert, becomes a fundamental element of the spatial composition, integrating water, stone, glass, and air into a single, continuous dialogue.
More recently, projects like Lina Bo Bardi 's Glass House in São Paulo (1951) also masterfully explore this relationship. Built on stilts in the middle of a lush tropical forest, the house combines glass walls with a minimalist structure that invites the landscape into everyday life. The sensation of being suspended amidst the vegetation reinforces the idea that the environment is not merely a backdrop, but a central feature of the living space.
Continuity as an Integration Strategy
Beyond the extensive use of glass surfaces, continuity in materials, colors, and architectural lines plays a crucial role in blending the interior with the exterior. This strategy seeks to extend the interior design language into the natural environment, creating a fluid and cohesive transition.
John Pawson and the Search for Essence
British architect John Pawson , renowned for his minimalist approach, has developed projects where material and spatial continuity are essential for integrating the interior with the exterior. A notable example is the North Sea Apartment , located on the outskirts of Copenhagen overlooking the Øresund Strait. Pawson employs a sequence of spaces organized around an axial gallery that opens onto an exterior terrace with sea views. The continuity in the use of materials such as wood and white plaster, together with the absence of physical barriers such as doors, generates a natural flow that connects the interior with the maritime environment. This project becomes an exercise in simplicity where the landscape is perceived as an essential part of the living experience.
Another relevant example is the Neuendorf House in Mallorca, designed in collaboration with architect Claudio Silvestrin in 1987. Here, Pawson uses a central courtyard as an extension of the interior space, a strategy that creates a constant dialogue between architecture and landscape. The vertical composition of the courtyard, with its high, strong walls, emphasizes the presence of the sky and the natural environment. The geometric arrangement of the space and the choice of warm materials such as Mallorcan stone generate an atmosphere of calm and cohesion. The relationship between interior and exterior is built through spatial continuity and the constant visual connection with the surrounding nature.
Tadao Ando and the Fusion with Nature
Japanese architect Tadao Ando is known for his ability to integrate architecture and nature. In the Row House in Sumiyoshi , also known as Azuma House , Ando incorporates an interior courtyard that, although enclosed, establishes a connection with the sky and natural elements, creating a sensory continuity between interior and exterior.
Kengo Kuma and the Inspiration of Japanese Engawa
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designed an extension to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, inspired by the Japanese concept of engawa , a transition zone between interior and exterior. Kuma connected the museum to the garden through a curved wooden roof, blurring the boundaries between the building and its natural surroundings and offering a smooth and harmonious transition.
The integration of interior and exterior in contemporary architecture goes beyond the use of transparency; it implies a continuity in materials, forms, and concepts that allows both spaces to interact coherently. Architects such as John Pawson, Tadao Ando, and Kengo Kuma have demonstrated that, through careful strategies, it is possible to create environments where nature and architecture coexist in harmony, enriching the spatial experience of their inhabitants.
Tips for Integrating the Exterior into Your Home
Inspired by these masters of architecture, we can adopt effective strategies to incorporate the outdoors as an extension of the interior in our own homes:
1. Large Openings and Floor-to-Ceiling Windows:
Incorporating large windows allows natural light to flood the interior and offer unobstructed views of the outdoors, creating a sense of visual continuity. This technique, popularized by architects such as Philip Johnson and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, allows the landscape to become an active part of the interior space. For example, a dining table placed next to a panoramic window can transform daily meals into experiences connected to the surroundings.
2. Consistent Use of Materials:
Extending the same materials across floors, walls, or ceilings, both indoors and outdoors, reinforces visual and sensorial cohesion. John Pawson employs this strategy masterfully, seamlessly applying stone, wood, or concrete to dissolve physical boundaries. A living room with wooden floors extending onto a terrace creates a fluid and natural transition between the two spaces.
3. Versatile and Coherent Furniture:
Selecting furniture that can be used both indoors and outdoors and that shares a similar style helps unify the spaces. Opting for modular sofas or tables that work in both environments allows for functional and aesthetic continuity. This strategy is also inspired by the Japanese tradition of engawa , applied by architects like Kengo Kuma, which creates an intermediate space that softens the transition between indoors and outdoors.
4. Intermediate or Semi-open Spaces:
Designing areas such as porches, galleries, covered patios, or terraces with pergolas acts as transition zones that connect the interior with the exterior. These spaces function as climatic buffers and allow for more comfortable enjoyment of the outdoors. Tadao Ando explores this idea with his interior courtyards, where the architecture constantly dialogues with nature without imposing rigid barriers.
5. Continuity in the Color and Texture Palette:
Maintaining consistency in colors, materials, and textures across both spaces reinforces the sense of unity. Using neutral tones and natural materials such as stone, wood, or linen allows the interior decor to flow seamlessly into the exterior. This concept is essential in John Pawson's projects, where simplicity and material consistency become fundamental elements of the design.
6. Create Visual Axes and Recurring Elements:
Establishing sight lines that connect the interior with the exterior or repeating decorative elements in both spaces creates a continuous dialogue. This can be achieved through the repetition of plants, furniture, or architectural elements that act as connecting points.
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