When my client asked me to create a space for his outdoor parties, I knew a teahouse would be essential.

But I quickly ran into a problem. Because the tea house needed access to hot water, it couldn’t be too far from the main building. But my goal for the main house was to maintain as great a view of the forest as possible. I absolutely didn’t want the tea house to disturb that view.

My solution: make the tea house transparent and accessible in all four directions. 

Making the teahouse transparent allowed it to serve as the center of outdoor activity in the residence’s northern yard and help fulfill my goal of prioritizing beautiful views and maximizing the use of outdoor space.

In addition to the main, roofed teahouse bar, the teahouse also includes an octagonal deck with its own panoramic forest vista, a pond with a fountain, and a toilet and bathroom.