A new virtual house allows a dynamic and expansive look at architecture, design and setting
Created by Oppenheim Architecture for Sky-Frame, this immersive digital residence moves between Miami and the Swiss Alps, exploring what architecture looks like when freed from physical constraints
A minimalist, new virtual house design by Miami-based studio Oppenheim Architecture allows you to try-before-you-buy in an immersive experience that celebrates design and digital advances. Initiated by client Swiss frameless door and window specialists Sky-Frame, the project, which launches today (29 June 2026) explores the boundaries of digital design and virtual worlds through the practice's sophisticated aesthetic.
Take a taster tour of this virtual house by Oppenheim Architecture
The project is a subtly abstract house design - a single-level, long and linear residence clad in seamless glazing. The residence features a pared-down aesthetic (the Swiss manufacturer is famous for producing virtually frameless openings) and a sculptural timber and concrete look.
The design was developed as a somewhat 'infinite' design, conceived to allow the creativity to run wild and potential to be imagined. As a result, the house can be seen in two distinct settings - visitors can experience it in a sun-drenched Miami beach scenery, or a snowy Swiss peak, the Matterhorn in the distance.
'The brief was to create an experience that captures the essence of Sky-Frame: openness, continuity and a seamless connection between inside and outside. By collaborating with Oppenheim Architecture, we were able to explore these ideas without physical constraints and demonstrate the emotional power of architecture in an entirely new way,' says Andrea Zürcher, CMO at Sky-Frame.
'Evolving the original thinking, together with Beat and Rasem, into this virtual dream world, was a really fun experience right from the start. We enjoyed working creatively to build our own ‘dream house’, as much about the beautiful design, as the conceptual thinking - and we enjoyed the process of being the client!'
The idea is that prospective clients - customers, including contractors, designers, architects and the general public - can book an appointment for a private viewing, where they can explore the look and feel of Sky-Frame's product through Oppenheim Architecture's sleek design.
'The brief was deliberately open, which is both a gift and a discipline,' says Oppenheim Architecture's Beat Huesler. 'Sky-Frame asked us to design a house that was architecturally rigorous but not site-specific. A residence that could exist anywhere, yet feels entirely at home in each location. The only non-negotiable was the landscape: every space had to earn its relationship to the view. That is very aligned with how we at Oppenheim Architecture (OA) approach architecture more broadly. We started with two concrete planes and let everything else follow from that discipline - services hidden, structure quiet, the frame of the window becoming the frame of the world outside.'
'We value Oppenheim’s visionary architecture and their philosophical approach to light, space, and integration with the surroundings,' says Zürcher. 'When approached, they immediately understood both the challenge and the opportunity of the project. The collaboration was based on a shared perspective and mindset on architecture.'
The architects were also challenged and pleased by the project. Huesler adds: 'The freedom to design without the constraints of a real site, a real budget, or a real planning authority and then to discover that this freedom actually demanded greater discipline, not less. When you remove every practical excuse, you are left with pure architectural intention.'
'The collaboration with The Boundary also pushed us to think about how architecture is experienced sequentially, almost cinematically. Miami Beach and Zermatt - each setting asked the house to perform differently, and watching it hold its identity across all three was genuinely satisfying.'
