Origins

Where did we get the idea to build a tea house? In 2002 we traveled to China, spending most of the time in Shanghai. But we did take a trip to the historical city of Hangzhou and spent two days there. Hangzhou is famous for its lake, and the tea grown in the misty hills just outside the city. Around the like there are many tea houses, which contribute to the slow pace and relaxed atmosphere of the city. In fact, the residents of Hangzhou rise much later than in Shanghai, which is bustling well before 6 a.m. everyday of the week.

The tea houses are casual, and one can order tea for a couple of dollars. It includes as many refills of hot water that the leaves can take, and numerous tea house snacks like dried fruits and preserved eggs. Customers generally stay for hours and play cards or mahjong. This lifestyle has a real attractive quality that we wanted to take home with us.






In Japan the tea house (third picture) has a completely different quality. It is generally a very formal place, and usually much smaller than the Chinese version. It also gives the sensation of calmness, or time standing still. I think this is achieved through the connection with nature, because they are generally in the middle of a formal garden, and cannot really be closed off to their surroundings.










In fact, the traditional Japanese home (last picture) really captures some qualities of both the Chinese and Japanese tea houses. They have the functionality of the former and the simplicity and connection to nature of the latter. This is probably the closest to what we hope to achieve.