At the heart of Villa Mosca Bianca, located on the shore of Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy, is a 70-year-old bonsai tree in a double-height atrium open to the sky. From there, the interior plan ripples out into four different wings, each of which reaches into the landscape like a finger, describes London–based firm Design Haus Liberty. Frameless sliding glass doors and curving panels of glass connect the interior to outdoor terraces, their shapes echoing the forms of the house and stepping down to the water’s edge.

The design process started with a study of the client’s daily schedule, with the interior plan organized around the rhythms of a typical day, which includes swimming, yoga and meditation, gardening, and reading. Additionally, “The house is 60-percent natural energy and water. There is a rain water collector in the ground and solar panels on the garden house,” says the firm.

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Project Credits:

Architecture: Design Haus Liberty (@dhliberty) / Roberto Manzetti

Landscape Design: Colin Okashimo Associates

Lighting Design: DH Liberty LUX

Interior Design: Design Haus Liberty

Doors: Sky-Frame

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An Undulating Italian Villa Stretches Toward the Lakeshore