Let's go outside

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Voxel armchair, Vondom, design Karim Rashid

This year as never before, gardens, terraces, the outside, balconies and rooftops have soared to the top of lists of must-haves.

Because of our renewed awareness of just how invaluable outdoor spaces are for our wellbeing, from its reworking not just in terms of relaxation but also of purpose (how many activities have we carried out en plein air: from smart working to lunching, from physical activities to Zoom chats with friends) and the almost absolute value that the concepts of love of nature and resilience – two states of mind that bind man and nature inextricably together – have taken on, informing new open air design. Not just products and projects, but proposals for a proper “new and green lifestyle” which, after much research, brings together beauty, sustainability, innovation and comfort.

While a great many studies have shown the multiple benefits of contact with nature, companies such as Pratic have explored this aspect. We have discovered that pergolas are the only architecture features capable of perfectly balancing the atavistic demands of the right and left hemispheres of the human brain, combining openness and protection, focal and panoramic vision, the geometry of spaces and the ability to move freely around. The company’s latest Brera Series is a bioclimatic pergola: the blades of the sunshade allows ideal ventilation and lighting conditions to be achieved, by simply harnessing elements present in the natural environment, sun and wind first and foremost.

In line with this, Kettal has launched a replica of the attic at the top of the VDL Research House, the modernist architect Richard Neutra’s former home in Los Angeles, built in 1963 and in which he played out all his architectural theories, including biorealism, “the inherent and inseparable relationship between man and nature.” The VDL Penthouse was created under the supervision of his son Dion, using updated building techniques and materials, and has a home automation system that controls the lighting, the air conditioning and the heating.

VDL Pavilion, Kettal, design Dion and Richard Neutra — *VDL Pavilion*, Kettal, design Dion and Richard Neutra

Gandía Blasco’s portfolio also contains pergolas as a contemporary reworking of the traditional wooden “frames.” They are anodised aluminium structures that transform any space into one where people can meet, perhaps enjoying its latest outdoor lounge furniture collection, Onsen, created by the Italian designer Francesco Meda and the Spanish designer David Quincoces, who have come up with a complete system of modular parts suitable for any outdoor setting.

Pergolas, Gandia Blasco — *Pergolas*, Gandia Blasco

We mustn’t forget, however, that we are still going through a period of social distancing, and there are solutions for open spaces that put the accent on private, welcoming and reassuring wellbeing. Marco Lavit and Ethimo have come up with Hut, a real hut that is a “unique nest on a human scale, a place to pause and regenerate. Inviting and comfortable, its wooden structure looks skywards, protecting like a shell. A habitat where the alternating rhythm of the slats creates gaps that filter perception of this space, in a natural dialogue between inside and out.”

HUT collection, Ethimo — *HUT* collection, Ethimo, design Marco Lavi, Atelier LAVIT

It was while contemplating the blue skies that Ramón Esteve dreamt up his original and captivating daybed for Vondom, which shares this idea of privacy and shelter with Hut. Moon’s round shape defines its design, transforming this piece of furnishing into an enveloping sphere destined for outdoor relaxation. The product is made up of two half circles; the lower half acts as the seat, made of polyethylene and covered with soft padding, as is the backrest, and the top half is a protective dome that can be removed when necessary, is made of braided cord.