J-Tea Retail and Tasting Room
Location:
Eugene, Oregon
Type:
Mixed-Use / Retail
Status:
Completed 2009
Awards:
︎︎︎ 2011 AIA Portland Honor Award
Press:
︎︎︎ 2011 “Delicate: New Food Culture” Book
︎︎︎ 2010 Dwell Magazine
Eugene, Oregon
Type:
Mixed-Use / Retail
Status:
Completed 2009
Awards:
︎︎︎ 2011 AIA Portland Honor Award
Press:
︎︎︎ 2011 “Delicate: New Food Culture” Book
︎︎︎ 2010 Dwell Magazine
J-Tea International is an importer of Taiwanese oolong teas. The task of this project was to economically transform a small, existing single-family house, located in a commercially zoned area, into a retail space for tea sales and sampling. In concept, the strategy was to strip the existing house down to a simple shell and use it as a quiet backdrop for 4 new discrete elements: canopy, porch, tea walls, and tea bar. The 4 elements work in unison to create a seamless progression from the busy street to the quiet sampling of tea. CANOPY: The canopy is used to bring the presence of the building forward, engaging pedestrian and vehicular traffic and giving the former house a commercial scale.
The white louvers are placed below the support structure to give the impression that they are floating in space – like a cloud. PORCH: The porch draws one’s eye into the tea room by creating an aperture framing the interior space as if it were a stage set. It sparks curiosity and welcomes visitors. TEA WALLS: The tea walls form a ring around a central tea bar creating a calm and quiet room, heightening the senses for the smell and tasting of tea. TEA BAR: The tea bar is the hub and focal point of the room. People gather around to talk, sample, and learn about tea.
The white louvers are placed below the support structure to give the impression that they are floating in space – like a cloud. PORCH: The porch draws one’s eye into the tea room by creating an aperture framing the interior space as if it were a stage set. It sparks curiosity and welcomes visitors. TEA WALLS: The tea walls form a ring around a central tea bar creating a calm and quiet room, heightening the senses for the smell and tasting of tea. TEA BAR: The tea bar is the hub and focal point of the room. People gather around to talk, sample, and learn about tea.
