BACK YARD TEAHOUSE

This Japanese-inspired teahouse crowns an elegant back yard garden design that incorporates gravel paths, descending water ponds, and stepping stones. The teahouse and water garden respond to the challenge of a gently sloping backyard that drops off dramatically to a forested greenbelt. Zen-like gravel terraces gently step down to the greenbelt’s edge. Two circular pools and a marsh pond mirror this movement alongside the steps. Water flows downhill, cascading from pool to pool, drawing one’s movement towards the teahouse or the greenbelt beyond. Fitting this theme of flowing transition, the character of the stonework changes from clean and refined near the home to raw and natural downhill, leading human habitation towards the purity of nature.

The teahouse is reached by a stepping stone bridge that crosses the marsh pond between the two circular ponds, offering the opportunity to observe the plants, water, and fish as the journey is made. The stone bridge leads to an ipe deck and a boardwalk that serves as an alternate entrance. This choice of approach "makes the teahouse feel like an important destination," says CG&S’ Gregory Thomas, who co-designed the project. "You don't hurry there. You need to go with a purpose in mind. It’s both a physical and a psychological choice" (Hayday, Andria. "A Texas Teahouse." Garden Ideas and Outdoor Living, Early Spring 2007, 84-91).

The teahouse is of timber frame construction with floor to ceiling screens on three sides, making the structure as transparent as possible to viewers outside and within. Made of standing seam material, the roof echoes materials used on the main house and has generous 4-foot deep eaves to provide shelter. The teahouse is raised from the ground on stilts so that it appears to float amidst the trees, and the view from inside immerses one in the nature that surrounds the backyard. The greenbelt with its creek is below, and the pools of water beside, where the sound of the flow mutes the noise of urban life and creates a calming sanctuary within the city.