Penguin Environmental Design

Category: Blog

Beauty of Not Showing All in Japanese Architecture

Is this, seen on this picture of Machiya townhouse in Kyoto, an opening or a wall? Japanese architecture have neither, not in a clearly defined way in Western architecture. An element that looks like a wall is thin and can slide open. Other things that look like openings are just perforated walls. The

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Kamo River – Water to divide life and death

In Japan,  people think that water sometimes becomes a border to divide two different worlds. Kamo River, which runs through Kyoto City, also used to be thought as the border to separate the world for the living from that for the dead. There was a crematory in the area called

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Garden for Salvation – Cosmology in Japanese Gardens

One of the reasons why people build gardens is to materialize their images of heaven. Good examples are seen in Japanese gardens and other gardens in the world. Historically, since Buddhism has influenced Japanese culture throughout history, the image of heaven in many Japanese gardens is defined by Buddhist cosmology. “Nine Mountains and Eight Oceans” is a part of

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Patterns in Japanese Architecture – Roof Tile

Repetition is not boring. It expands our imagination. This picture tells us so. When you see patterns in Japanese arts and architecture, forms of repeated element are often taken from organic figures such as a branch, a leaf, or a wave.  Each element is simple and clean. When by itself, it is quiet and does not convey much.

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Contact us

Penguin Environmental Design
56 Lynmoor Place, Hamden, CT 06517
info@penguin.one-globe.com

Category: Blog

Beauty of Not Showing All in Japanese Architecture

Is this, seen on this picture of Machiya townhouse in Kyoto, an opening or a wall? Japanese architecture have neither, not in a clearly defined way in Western architecture. An element that looks like a wall is thin and can slide open. Other things that look like openings are just perforated walls. The

Read More »
Kamo River – Water to divide life and death

In Japan,  people think that water sometimes becomes a border to divide two different worlds. Kamo River, which runs through Kyoto City, also used to be thought as the border to separate the world for the living from that for the dead. There was a crematory in the area called

Read More »
Garden for Salvation – Cosmology in Japanese Gardens

One of the reasons why people build gardens is to materialize their images of heaven. Good examples are seen in Japanese gardens and other gardens in the world. Historically, since Buddhism has influenced Japanese culture throughout history, the image of heaven in many Japanese gardens is defined by Buddhist cosmology. “Nine Mountains and Eight Oceans” is a part of

Read More »
Patterns in Japanese Architecture – Roof Tile

Repetition is not boring. It expands our imagination. This picture tells us so. When you see patterns in Japanese arts and architecture, forms of repeated element are often taken from organic figures such as a branch, a leaf, or a wave.  Each element is simple and clean. When by itself, it is quiet and does not convey much.

Read More »

Follow us

Contact us

Penguin Environmental Design
56 Lynmoor Place, Hamden, CT 06517
info@penguin.one-globe.com

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