csxlab.org Francisco c.p. Vasconcelos

Tokyo Gas Co. Wind Concept  [ Tea House ]

The wind phenomena, consists in the flow of air. This flow can be perceived by the senses of our body, and also our inner perception. The Japanese tea ceremony has exert an influence on the architecture of the intimate room to the appreciation of tea and the harmony of space. The purpose is to focus the mind, and the shape of the room must not divert it. This concept was designed having in mind the Sense and Perception of the flow of air. For this design of “wind” concept I have united the wind phenomena with the materiality of a tea house, evolving its own universe and provoking the perception and sense. The typical layout of yo zyo-han was choosed. This dimensions were then used to form the formal cubic shape of the tea house space. It was designed having in mind a bamboo forest for its location. The transparency of the space, brings together the environment and let our perception feel the movement of the forest. The entrance was conceptualized to follow and advocate the principle of nigiri-guchi, to permit this entrance the volume is raised up in the air at the height of 80cm, so the occupants enter the tea house crawling under the volume, and by lowering one tatami mat, enters upwards.

 The volume itself is involved in a rope that maintains the walls, ceiling and floor together as an unitarian force. Later this ropes involving the volume will be tied up to the surrounding forest of bamboo trees, creating a sort of spiderweb in the forest. While the bamboo forest acts as the structure of support for the volume it also provides a union of the built space with environment. Hopefully, when lived, you could be inside the tea-house, sited in unity in a built environment, that could enhance the feel of the surrounding environment, if the wind flows too strong the bamboo will swing the tea-house gently, and if the wind is gentle, we perceive by the leaves of the forest, and also by the aluminum ivy leafs that are attached to the ropes that are tied up in a voronoi cell like structure, these leafs are made of aluminum to behave has a human act in the nature, providing a reflex of the true nature surrounding it, and with the flow of wind, they will provide the perception by their movement and shadows inside the space, which protects us.