WAGASHI & TEA HOUSE
"Wagashi" is a traditional Japanese confectionery that comes in various colors, flavors, and textures. Typically paired with green tea, the bitterness of the tea is harmoniously balanced by the sweetness of wagashi, resulting in a sensory experience that celebrates Japanese culture. The goal of this project is to bring in a piece of traditional Japanese culture into Georgetown and a peaceful retreat into this bustling industrial district.
The program parameter of this artist studio is divided into 3 uses - live, work, show.
Live : private space to rest/sleep; a permanent or temporary living space for the artist
Work : a semi-public/semi-private space to make/create
Show : a public space to exhibit, perform, present, and/or share ideas and work.
CONCEPTUAL COLLAGE
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Using Photoshop as a graphic tool to convey materiality, circulation, and interior design, this axon perspective of the interior space expresses a desire to create warmth, openness, and a dynamic way to traverse through the space. Building upon this initial collage, it served as a foundation for the ultimate realization of the final design.
The most upper story of the studio holds the live space for the artist. The artist has their own private kitchen, bathroom, living room, lofted sleeping area, outdoor terrace to the south, and an enclosed meditation room to the east.
The ground level is where the artist can display their wagashi at the purchasing station by the entrance. As visitors step into the space, they are greeted by a captivating sight of wooden columns, reminiscent of tree trunks in a forest, marking the start of their journey through the Wagashi and Tea House.
The work station features a baker's kitchen for creating and decorating wagashi, along with a separate tea brewing room accessible by a small flight of stairs. Both work stations are visible to the public through glass walls, allowing visitors to observe the meticulous craft of tea brewing and wagashi making. Across from the kitchen are elevated seating platforms of varying heights supported by wooden columns, offering each visitor a distinct and unique dining experience.
FLOOR PLANS
WEST FACING SECTION
The interior form draws inspiration from the contrasting nature of traditional Japanese tea house practices, exploring ideas between privacy vs. sociability and intimacy vs. conviviality, through the manipulation of the elevation of scales of seating platforms. For an intimate dining experience, visitors can choose to seat themselves in a smaller, and higher elevated platform for more privacy; whereas for a more social and communal experience, visitors can sit at a lower elevations amongst others.
The Wagashi and Tea House is designed to offer visitors a dynamic dining experience that actively engages all five senses
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