Sukiya: Traditional Japanese Architecture

Sukiya style

Sukiya style

Sukiya style

Sukiya style

My new new thing -- traditional Japanese architecture. This is the high-end style, "sukiya" (as contrasted with "minka")...

Sukiya style architecture

The true spirit of Japanese architecture can be found in the Japanese house and the sukiya style of residential construction. Japanese houses come in many shapes and sizes -- but for 400 years the majority of them have been built in the sukiya style. Anyone interested in the architecture of Japan should become familiar with this vernacular.

The sukiya style Japanese home is a refined and graceful living space that employs elements of the Japanese tea house. Characteristics of the sukiya style include delicate proportions, the ample use of natural materials, the integration of interior and exterior spaces, and a general sense of quiet elegance with rustic overtones. In the traditional Japanese house, moderation is of key importance. In addition to slender wood elements and the lack of ostentation, the sukiya living environment strives, not to overwhelm, but rather to harmonize with the human scale and human sense perception.