Conference Room, Mountain View, CA
This space was built for the CEO of a high-tech company in Silicon Valley. Placed in a large office building, it provides a serene setting in contrast to the fast pace of the rest of the building. It includes a traditional Japanese alcove (tokonoma), tatami-mat floor, a ceiling of red cedar panels framed by white cedar, and walls surfaced with Japanese mud plaster. The 3’x 6’ table is made of cherry wood.
Office in private residence
Office with flat screen
Flat screen hidden
Half-bathroom/bathing room
Granite soaking tub
Top view soaking tub
Conference room in tech company
Japanese style Office, Half-bathroom, Bathing room, Hillsborough, CA
Office
Though this Japanese style office contains electronic equipment enabling the owner to run a high-tech company from his home, it has the simplicity of traditional Japanese design. The floor is a combination of 6 tatami-mats and white cedar. The ceiling is red cedar paneling and walls are covered with Japanese mud plaster. Shoji window screens can be raised vertically or slide open horizontally. The Japanese style office includes a traditional Japanese alcove (tokonoma). A maple table (3’x 9’), made by Sakaguchi-san, can be lowered and raised by a hydraulic lift from a rectangular recess in the floor. When the table is stored, it is covered with a tatami mat providing more floor space in the room. A built-in desk for computer equipment also has a recess in the floor below it enabling Western-style sitting. A built-in flat screen allows for long distance conferencing. Both the desk and flat screen can be hidden by sliding, paper covered doors (fusuma).
Half Bathroom
The half bathroom, also serving as an entrance to the bathing room, includes two sinks, a granite counter top, and madrone floor. The tansu-style sink cabinet is maple with hand-forged iron handles. The small wall cabinet door is made of thin, woven maple slats (ajiro). On the right wall are storage cabinets. On the right is also a door opening to a toilet.
Bathing Room with Cedar Soaking Tub (furoba and ofuro)
The bathing room has a black granite soaking tub with white cedar frame. The materials are repeated in the wall paneling giving it a clean, elegant look. For aesthetic purposes, black stones surface the area between the tub and wall.