The idea of playing with the line that separates inside and outside could be attributed first to Shigeru Ban in the modern era. Ban constantly seeks new ways to mesh the two otherwise disparate spaces, most recently in Metal Shutter Houses, in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.

A more recent attempt by architect Guilherme Vaz in Portugal seeks to define in and out using somewhat different techniques adapted for the specific location.

This whole idea is one architects are increasingly grappling with as we begin to lose sight of more conventional definitions of inside vs outside as a result of newer views of the importance of integrating the ecology with our man made structures.

In a current exhibit in New York, MoMA explores the importance of integrating “harmony between the spatial, social, and environmental aspects of human life,” underscoring how the idea is becoming more relevant as well as a larger part of the architects thinking than in the recent past. Read post in Dwell.