The v-shaped roof of this Illinois tea house by architect Jeffery Poss funnels rainwater to a spout over the adjacent pond.
Called Victor, the wood-panelled hut sits on four stilts and is accessed via a ramp.
A full-height window provides views of the surrounding trees, while the interior contains a cabinet for making tea and three tatami mats.
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Here’s some more information from the architect:
Meditation Hut III “Victor”
Champaign, Illinois, 2008-10
The owners of a forested property wanted a quiet space to observe the surrounding nature and have a cup of tea. A naturalized understory leads to a visually kinetic approach ramp that contrasts to the subtle interior. Entry to the hut is through an obscured door detailed like the cedar walls.
Inside an oversized window opposite the entrance immediately pulls the view back outside to a composed view of mature trees. Adjacent to this is a miniature tea cabinet. A raised platform in the main space supports three tatami mats.
The location along the north pond edge allowed the development of several effluvial sensations. Throughout the day water reflections are projected onto the soffit. The roof channels rainwater to a central spout over the pond. A horizontal window in the tatami room frames a meditative fragment of water. The floor of glossy ebonized birch has the sensation of a deep still pool – the grass tatami mats become and island within an island. The result is an interior volume that is protective and serene but alive with subtle energy.
The client, Dr. Mary Kalantzis, Dean of the University of Illinois College of Education writes: “I wake up to the vision of your hut every day. There is something about the proportions that makes it appear heavenly like a Greek temple”.
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