moss-covered earthen roof shields teahouse’s waiting area in japan
kurosawa kawara-ten builds moss-bound roof for Waiting Area
The Sekiyuan Waiting Area, located in Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan, functions as a small structure where guests briefly wait before entering the adjacent tea room. Designed and built by Kurosawa Kawara-ten in collaboration with an architect and an artist, not professional builders, through the DIT (Do It Together) approach, the project explores how informal building practices can contribute to contemporary architectural culture.
The structure introduces a deformed single-slope roof supported at three points. Its surface is finished with mortar mixed with soil excavated from the foundation, extending across the gables and eaves for a unified appearance. No waterproofing was applied, allowing the surface to retain moisture and eventually support moss growth. The roof’s intentionally low point at the rear subtly encourages visitors to bow as they enter, contributing to the tea ceremony’s spatial etiquette while reducing hierarchical distinctions among guests. The diagonal opening of the roof establishes a clear directional gesture, guiding movement through the alleyway.
all images by Masato Chiba
raw earthen materials sculpt Sekiyuan teahouse’s Waiting Area
The project responds to the site’s existing garden layout. The landscape plan, developed by Takeda-ya Sakuteiten, introduced new paths and a bench-like waiting area using irregularly placed bricks and tiles. These elements informed the building’s informal composition and its focus on reinterpreting conventional forms. Constructed without professional builders, the project uses its small scale and non-essential program to foreground the act of making. Tasks such as cutting timber, carving components, excavating soil, and mixing mortar become central to the project’s intent, highlighting building as a hands-on, responsive process. The structure’s suspended mortar-and-earth roof introduces a slight sense of instability, heightening spatial awareness and anticipation as visitors approach the tea room.
By relying on accessible materials and manual techniques, the project reflects on the diminishing role of amateur participation in contemporary construction. It demonstrates how small, non-urgent structures can reintroduce flexibility, experimentation, and a sense of agency in shaping one’s environment. The Sekiyuan Waiting Area by studio Kurosawa Kawara-ten positions this approach not as nostalgic reconstruction but as a pathway to restoring forms of conviviality and fundamental understandings of how spaces can be made.
small waiting structure marking the approach to the Sekiyuan tea room
a single-slope roof supported at three key points
mortar mixed with excavated soil forms the roof’s textured surface
unwaterproofed roof designed to retain moisture and encourage moss growth
timber cutting and carving contributed directly to the construction process
low rear roof height prompts visitors to bow on entry
roof opening creates a diagonal gesture that guides movement
suspended roof introduces a controlled sense of instability
earth-based materials connect the structure to its immediate site
manual techniques emphasize accessible, low-impact construction
structure positioned within the garden path leading to the tea room
approach path heightens anticipation before the tea ceremony
project info:
name: Sekiyuan waiting house
architect: Kurosawa Kawara-ten | @kurosawakawara_ten
lead architect: Atsushi Ikeda
location: Ichihara City, Chiba, Japan
photographer: Masato Chiba
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
The post moss-covered earthen roof shields teahouse’s waiting area in japan appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.
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