FORCE OF NATURE

Italian design office Carlo Ratti Associati has built a house around a 10m-high tree on the outskirts of Parma. Surrounded by multi-level living spaces, the 60-year-old ficus is the heart of this family home, which was created by renovating and extending an old farmhouse. To ensure it thrives, the designers have introduced a high-tech system that adjusts the room’s temperature and humidity and automatically opens and closes windows (carloratti.com).