YKDW softens the environment with gently ascending atami tea house in japan

yamazaki kentaro design workshop (YKDW) completes the ‘atami tea house‘ in shizuoka, japan, located just a short walk from the ancient kinomiya shrine. covering an area of about 60 square meters, the form of the compact project is defined by the steep slope on which it is sited. the site itself was carved out of this slope, which created an uninviting environment. however, a slight gradient extends toward the lowest point of the site, while the pleasant sound of a small stream can be heard throughout the area. the team seeks to generate a space that would relieve visitors from the harshness of the slope so that they might savor the subtle charms that can be seen and heard hidden away from the surroundings.

images by naoomi kurozumi

when designing the tea house, yamazaki kentaro design workshop (YKDW) made use of a concrete retaining wall along the long axis of the narrow site. this element protects the area against landslides from the top of the dramatic slope. a structure of light timber framing is hung along an L-shaped foundation of reinforced concrete which projects upward from the ground. reinforced concrete construction protects visitors from inclement environments while the wooden frame introduces a softer, enveloping atmosphere.

‘we felt this to be the most suitable structure for this site,’ continues yamazaki kentaro design workshop. ‘in addition, since the horizontal force is borne by the concrete structure, it was not necessary to install any structural reinforcements in the upper wooden portion that would obstruct the scenery.’ see other projects by YKDW on designboom here.

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project info:

project title: atami tea house

architecture: yamazaki kentaro design workshop

location: atami-shi, shizuoka, japan

program: restaurant, tea house

structure: shuji tada structural design office

photography: naoomi kurozumi