Between Inside and Out

This project is an experiential tea center designed to reconnect people with natural phenomena within an interior environment. It responds to urban isolation and the increased indoor confinement highlighted during the pandemic, exploring how architecture interior can restore human awareness of natural rhythms. The design uses light, rain, gravity, and plant growth as active thresholds that define circulation, shape atmosphere, and create sensory moments.

Greenery is integrated deeply into the interior, allowing plants to influence light, air, and movement. Natural materials such as wood and stone are employed to emphasize texture, warmth, and the passage of time. Thresholds are designed to frame views, stretch experiences, and allow human activities to occur within transitional zones, replacing rigid partitions and creating a fluid spatial hierarchy. Gravity organizes vertical movement through ramps and steps, while rainwater collection feeds interior gardens and pools, reducing reliance on mechanical systems and enhancing environmental responsiveness.

The project merges the ritual of tea culture with architecture, offering spaces for tea tasting, learning, and trading. Activities engage the five senses, heightening awareness of both human and natural processes. By embedding natural phenomena as part of the spatial and functional logic, the design transforms everyday transitions into meaningful encounters with time, light, and seasonal change.

Unlike conventional interiors, this approach prioritizes experience over fixed form, allowing the environment to evolve continuously with natural forces. The result is a dynamic, layered, and immersive space where architecture, nature, and human activity coexist harmoniously. Socially, it fosters mindfulness, community, and calm interaction. Environmentally, it demonstrates sustainable strategies through material choices, passive systems, and integration of greenery.