Japanese Pavilion Plans

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Click on any of the thumbnails below to view the sketches
	Front View of Pavilion
	Floor Plan
	Section Through Pavilion
	Rise from the Water

Architectural Statement

Japanese gardens are the result of a carefully designed interplay between the natural and man-made realms. Garden design in Japan has evolved and transformed over centuries, yet it has consistently been concerned with the fastidious, controlled cultivation of plants, the deliberate placement of stones, the framing of “view corridors,” and the strategic sitting of aesthetically “rustic” villas, all orchestrated to simulate the natural evolution of the landscape itself.

Architecture commonly used in such garden designs is often characterized by the use of humble, natural materials rendered in exquisite detail. Materials are designed to age and weather naturally in the landscape, to reflect seasonal change, and perhaps above all, to capture a delicacy embodied in the spirit of impermanence. It is important that the structure not dominate the landscape, but rather embrace it, ultimately returning back to nature. Japanese retreats are as much objects to be viewed within the landscape as they are peaceful refuges from which to view the garden. .

Whether they are teahouses built in the austere spirit of the medieval warrior class or aristocratic platforms for pleasure garden viewing, these buildings strive to blur the boundaries between the natural and man-made worlds. Architectural elements extend out into the landscape in the shape of lanterns, corridors, paved walkways or fencing. Similarly, garden elements engulf the buildings through water features, natural stone foundations, or seasonal art and flower arrangements set into the tokonoma (decorative alcove). Interior and exterior are defined less by walls than by changeable zones created by sliding translucent partitions (shoji), perimeter walkways (engawa), and protective eaves. When resting under the eaves of such a building, there is a wonderful ambiguous sense of betweenness—a sense that you are within the garden while still sitting indoors.

Derek Jones, AIA