Keeping the Outside In: Nested Architecture as a Strategy for Adaptive Reuse

This paper explores the concept of nested architecture, a spatial strategy wherein buildings exist within other buildings. Beginning with the allegorical columbaria drawings of Soviet architects Brodsky and Utkin, which preserve the memory of disappearing structures, the discussion traces nested architecture’s presence in scenography, conservation, and adaptive reuse. While cinematic examples, such as The Truman Show (1998) and Synecdoche, New York (2008), illustrate its metanarrative potential, real-world applications are less common. Architectural precedents—such as Scamozzi’s trompe-l'œil stage set (1585), protective enclosures like the Hill House Box (2019), and Chernobyl’s New Safe Confinement (2016)—demonstrate how nested structures address issues of preservation, spatial experience, and environmental adaptation.
A key case study investigates the potential of Naturhuset principles, first proposed by Bengt Warne in the 1970s, for adaptive reuse. Applying these ideas, a new guesthouse is proposed within an abandoned agricultural greenhouse in Scotland. The nested design creates a self-sustaining, energy-efficient dwelling that harnesses passive climate control and ecological cycles while offering a unique sensory experience. The interstitial space between the greenhouse and guesthouse forms a temperate wintergarden, enhancing both functionality and ambiance.
This study situates nested architecture within contemporary adaptive reuse discourse, considering its relevance to themes of sustainability, heritage, and spatial transformation. By repurposing existing structures innovatively rather than maximizing space, nested architecture presents a compelling approach to the challenges of modern conservation, engaging with memory, authenticity, and resource efficiency in a world of finite materials.