Works
Niwa of a brook


















This landscape is unique to the Northen Kanto-Plain, with the meadows that may once have been lawn fields and scattered lowland forests. To make the new boundary less noticeable, the lawn fields have been used as the boundary to connect the garden seamlessly with the meadows. And the design also incorporates the adjacent lowland forests to help it.
Historically, lowland forests were the integral part of our daily lives. Field farmers on infertile land were not able to maintain reproduction without their help. They also served as the diverse natural resources; they provided vegetable ash, cuttings mulch, leaf compost, supplied firewood, repair materials for houses and barns, roofing thatch, as well as edible wild plants, mushrooms, and medicinal herbs.
Besides these, they played roles as windbreaks, rainwater reservoirs, and a space for locals to experience seasonal changes. Mand -made forests were equipped with a system to live in harmony with nature in a sustainable way.
During the period of rapid economic growth, everything changed; leaf compost was replaced by chemical fertilizer, firewood and charcoal by petroleum and gas, thatched roof by tin and slate roof. Severed from the cycle of human activities, lowland forests became a target for development. They transformed into golf courses, factories, and housing complexes, and were gradually lost.
Today, the remaining lowland forests are in a state of decay due to lack of maintenance. But it is also true that some people, like the client, have gotten attracted to them.
The client’s requests were all gratifying conditions for us; “a connection with lowland forests”, “integrating firewood and a wood storage into scenery”, “improving the underground environment”, “a parking are where grass can grow”, and “tending garden without chemicals”.
Additionally, they requested the space to be the local disaster prevention center. To accommodate many, a lawn space was created in the garden and a dry stone-terrace was build beside it.
We created an inviting approach to the house with the stonework in the center of the land, and placed a wood storage and a compost on the west side as the boundary. We added undulations to the large grassy area to prevent monotony, and also paid attention to the underground environment.
Just like lowland forests, a garden comes to life through human activities. A lifestyle where people become part of the landscape means that even chores, such as chopping wood or working in the field with a straw hat, become part of it.
We aim to propose a place that has practical functions for living, and they are combined with beauty.