Who: Private Client
What: Japanese Tea Ceremony Room
When: 2022
Where: Joshua Tree, CA Role: Designer
Description: This project is for a client who is a ceramicist and enjoys designing tea sets, growing teas and performing traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. To combine these passions, We wanted to retool the traditional Japanese “Chashitsu” (tea room) for a desert climate. We kept the traditional 4.5 tatami layout with the hearth in the middle and built the for out from there. The traditional “Tokonoma” (scroll alcove) took on the form of a greenhouse for a selection of teas grown by the client. We kept the traditional separation of guest and host, putting a service wall with sink and storage in the host hallway. All water for the greenhouse irrigation and service sink is collected from the roof and retained in an underground cistern. The main entry is kept at a low 6’ height proceeding to a door of 4’ for the main tea room in keeping with traditional “Nijiriguchi” (crawling-in entrance) to leave the outside world behind. For the exterior shell, we used rammed earth from the surrounding area for thermal mass, blending in with the desert environment, and as something that will age and wear with the elements. For the inner shell, we used dark walnut, some of which is on the interior entrance and will also weather with time, transitioning into the pristine dark interior. The tearoom is separated from the walls as if floating in the space, all light being from up lighting in the space below, concealed in a recessed ceiling cove and the greenhouse. The room is meant to focus on the experience of the ceremony and the reflection of the teas in the greenhouse.
