Penguin Environmental Design

Modern Japanese Architecture – Exposed Geometric Pattern

Did you know that modern Japanese architecture was contemporary with, or even was going ahead of, American and European counterparts? There was much both-way communication and architectural developments between West and East in early 21st century, about which I will write in this blog sometime soon. Yet here I would like to start introducing some examples […]

What Inspires Us – Inside Outside

Young dancers rehearsing on the stage. Inside/Outside Theater at Jacob’s Pillow, MA Inspiration for: Inside/Outside Relationship, Being in Nature, Art and Landscape, Quietness

What Inspires Us – Art of Bamboo

We’d like to start introducing you what inspires us as designers. “The Gate” by Tanabe Chikuunsai IV, currently shown at Metropolitan Museum in New York, as a part of “Japanese Bamboo Art: The Abbey Collection” exhibition 「門」四代目田邊竹雲斎作 Inspiration for: Possibility of Material, Movement, Transparency Here is the Video showing how it is made on site.

Cheerful Music and Mindful Landscape

If you are in Kyoto in early July, you hear some lively music every evening at different parts of the town. Neighborhood musicians are practicing traditional instrumental music, Ohayashi, to be ready for their performance on the top of parading floats (Yamaboko) . I was there ten years ago strolling and listening to the tunes, feeling comfortable and calm. […]

Image of Beautiful “Noise”? – Happy Fourth of July!

Have you ever seen fireworks from where you cannot hear the noise they make? I did once. It was surreal. I wanted to shout “where is the sound?”. Japanese landscape often has wonderful quiet quality as I said in  “Image of Quietness and of Japanese Space“, our last blog. But it also includes images that must be accompanied by […]

Japanese + Modern

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