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Designing Mindfulness: Spatial Concepts in Traditional Japanese Architecture



Designing Mindfulness: Spatial Concepts in Traditional Japanese Architecture

https://www.japansociety.org/event/designing-mindfulness-spatial-concepts-in-traditional-japanese-architecture

Why do Japanese gardens, tea rooms, and temples seem to encourage us to feel contemplative? Can our physical environment foster mindfulness? At this talk Dr. Yoko Kawai, lecturer at Yale School of Architecture and co-founder of Mirai Work Space, examines how different elements and aspects of traditional Japanese architecture help us focus our awareness on the present moment. Japanese spatial concepts like ma (in-betweenness), utsuroi (transience) and yugen (the unknown) are discussed as the framework of this mind-body-space relationship.

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25 Comments

  1. I'm a little confused. Can someone help explain to me? I thought everything happens in the mind… even the sense of smell is something that happens in the brain?

  2. LOVED IT!
    Going to use the concept in my own talk about 間.
    One remark – as a lecturer, if one has such a strong accent, it is better to avoid using a word like "blur", which was a key term in this talk and sounded like "Blah" throughout… and instead use a more easily pronounced word to express the same.

  3. Wow, this is the first of heard of Dr. Kawai, and I am blown away by her brilliant analysis and ability to convey her findings in such a clear and succinct presentation. I’m currently working on a research paper on the translation of Zen Buddhism in the architecture of Tofuku-ji Temple, and this lecture has been the most invaluable resource in guiding my analysis. Thank you so much!

  4. I'm In South Africa and would appreciate to have that slide on Japanese Architecture for academic purposes.

  5. Her tones and accents, also the way of her speaking are very annoying !
    She is giving some wrong ideas about Japanese architecture to the audience. Pretentious and boring.

  6. Very interesting. I’m really drawn towards Japanese & Chinese use of spaces both interior & exterior. I’m not a huge fan of the actual buildings or temples design with the sharp points and the roofs. But I really like the layout designs. The use of transitional spaces/boundaries in motion and the blur of exterior interior facets, few straight line sights into spaces & the meandering paths of discovery. That I’m fascinated with.

  7. Das great architect of de universe
    now begins to appear
    as a pure mathematician.

  8. These concepts really do not belong only to Japanese culture. They have been discovered by Japanese wisdom and experience but they should be shared and cherish by everyone! This is what world heritage and common knowledge really means. Culture is also science.

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