Hi there.
Hagi, or bush clover, started to show their faces. Hagi flowers are one of the seven flowers of autumn, yet they start blooming during such a hot season. The other autumn seven flowers, the Japanese bell flower, and the dianthus flower are also in bloom this time of year. It is interesting to see how different “autumn” is now from the old days. In the past, this season may not have been so hot.
Giving Building Materials a Second Life
Recently, we created a fence by reusing used kawara, or traditional roof tiles of Japan, in response to our client’s request. Tiled roofs are not commonly used these days. And many people stop using tiles when renovating their old houses because they are high-maintenance. Sadly, those tiles are discarded.
We at oomi teien sometimes make use of those discarded kawara and give them a second life.
We arranged the tiles in a regular pattern, creating a beautiful motif. It brings to mind the seigaiha(青海波), the wave motif.
The client contacted us after researching examples of our work and told us to want to have that fence using kawara in their garden. And we used old tiles provided by them. We also use black or gray colored gravel and stones to fit their taste which is a luxurious and earthy atmosphere.
The blocks that had been used until now were re-stacked using river stones. The front porch was replaced with black slate stone, creating the sacred atmosphere of an authentic Japanese garden.
Some tiles are rusted and chipped, but those imperfections bring a unique character to the fence. It's just easy to throw old materials away. But, at least, we can try to find a way to reuse them before discarding them. Old things have their own charms, while new things have their own good points. We will continue to incorporate old materials into our projects to create one-of-a-kind spaces.
The client loved it so much that they planted plants in the flower beds right away after the construction. We are glad that we were able to create clients' ideal spaces. We hope to find a new way of sustainable, eco-friendly landscaping design with an eye to the future.