Penguin Environmental Design

Self, Space, and Beyond: Where and How Do We Experience Mindfulness?

Connections between the mind, body, and environment Imagine you are walking through an outdoor path in Kyoto, surrounded by bamboo. While you walk, your blood pressure happens to decrease. Is it because you are taking in the smells of the bamboo as you walk? Is your mind communicating a positive reaction to the space to […]

Design and Posture – Secrets of Being a Little Happier

You are in the middle of the beautiful landscape. But instead of looking up, you look down to your phone and slouch. Sounds familiar? When you slouch, you not only look bad but also feel powerless and hopeless. The repetitive strain on the neck and cervical spine can develop the neuromuscular syndrome that involves depression […]

Cat’s Eye View of Japanese Architecture vol. 5 – Perishable Landscape

Do you know what colored maple leaves and cherry blossoms have in common? The answer is that both are perishable. Their colors, red of maple and pink of cherry, last only for a few days. Japanese people cherish them because of their short lives. Yes, I said “because of”, not “in spite of”. The logical […]

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

Japanese + Modern

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