DESIGN HEROES: VILLA MOSCA BIANCA BY DESIGN HAUS LIBERTY

Design Haus Liberty have built a modern house connected with rounded terraces on the Italian lake of Lago Maggiore.

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The studio, led by Harvard educated architect Dara Huang, designed Villa Mosca Bianca as a holiday home for a retired couple who wanted a place where they could host family members on the shore of Lago Maggiore.

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"The terraces were organically drawn almost as wings coming off the house," Huang says. "Each petal provides an opportunity to create a platform for the owner's hobbies such as yoga, eating, barbecue or hot tubbing."

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The lakefront site dictated many aspects of Design Haus Liberty's design, including the need to raise the house three metres above the waterline.

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Design Haus Liberty conceived of the house as comprising three layers, with a large sheltered deck connecting the outside space with the internal living area. At the heart of the building is a circular courtyard containing a 70-year-old bonsai tree.

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​Interiors were decorated in a neutral palette, chosen to minimise any distractions from the scenery. Stone is used throughout the to introduce a natural tone and texture to the otherwise minimal aesthetic.

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