Zen House
The courtyard
abstract:
This desert Zen house designed for a Japanese meditation is formed as a topological knot object, whose continuity property greatly enables a standard daily meditation routine flow in both interior and exterior.
A manifold knot structure also respond human body positions and behaviors more specifically, resolving a folded courtyard as micro-environment to respect the spirit of the meditation and the nature.
Studio: Andrew Saunders
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Summer 2012, 1st year
Individual work.
Body position, Privacy and Program
Knots is the relationship of lines, which can be architecturally interpreted as circulation. When this continuous knot is mapped with different body position and privacy requirement of different program requirement, the knot could be expanded into a space that run through the entire house.
A long room
This house practically has only one room, though the variating elevation and width subdivide the space into sequential function. The continuous ribbon window on the side plays with the position of one’s eye by shifting shape along the room.
Zen Garden
Architectural Landscape
The house blends all its edges to the sand of the desert, eliminating the boundary of this zen house. The partially closed courtyard formed by the arms of structures is ideal for inward meditation and outward view looking.
Observation Room
Pool