A pursuit for harmony
between buildings and gardens
Our design philosophy
Our philosophy is to develop living spaces that achieve balance and harmony among the three aspects of architecture, landscape, and lighting.
Architecture
Our architectural designs are founded upon the traditional Japanese concepts that have been used by Japanese architects for over 1000 years. However, we also seek to couple these ancient Japanese styles with the best modern architectural concepts from all over the world to create wooden buildings that are built from the very best locally sourced timber.
一如庭屋
Landscape
In landscape design, the major design aesthetic of a Japanese garden is to be a minimalist natural setting designed to inspire reflection and meditation. When planning a Japanese garden, we aim to promote harmony with nature, even within an urban setting. We consider both the architectural and landscape designs when planning a Japanese garden by asking two main questions: how can the garden be used as a living space and how can we bring harmony between the architecture and landscape.
山居市中
Lighting
"In Praise of Shadows" is an essay on Japanese aesthetics by the author and novelist Junichiro Tanizaki. He presents an appreciation of shadow and subtlety, which is closely related to the traditional Japanese concept of SABI. In addition to contrasting light and dark, Tanizaki further considers the layered tones of various kinds of shadows and their power when reflected by low-sheen materials such as gold embroidery, patina, and cloudy crystals. Our lighting designs follow his ideas from In Praise of Shadows.
礼讃陰翳
Examples of our design
Our portfolio
Team
Wolke
Lighting Designer
I studied interior design at college in Germany, where I fell in love with the European culture and their use of lighting in society. I noticed a stark difference in the ways in which lighting was used in Japan and Europe. Since graduating, I have been a lighting designed based in Tokyo for almost 16 years, where I have worked with amazing interior designers and architects, and have been engaged by high fashion brands for various projects. When I design lighting, I always seek to find the beauty within a space and then determine how this beauty can be enhanced by the use of light, regardless of whether the space is a residence, an urban environment, or commercial space.
"WOLKE" is the German word for cloud. Clouds are able to freely change shape, and can reflect, transmit, and diffuse light. I want to be someone who can create something that is soft and beautiful like a cloud.
Masakatsu Nishitani
Architect
&
Landscape Designer
Following graduation in 1996, I moved to New Zealand where I taught myself about architecture and landscape design. After returning to Japan in 2000, I worked in the architectural design studio and the construction company.
In 2013, I founded Comorebi Arqeuitecto Design Office. I moved to Kyoto in 2017 and divided my time between architecture with the Architectural Culture Laboratory and landscape with Ueyakato Landscape. In 2021, we re-launched our business focused on both landscape and architecture design. My passion is to use traditional Japanese architecture and landscape design to bring harmony to the environment, culture, and nature itself.
Seung Hyun Lee
International Business Consultant
After graduating from Keio University, Japan, with a degree in economics, I moved to England to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where I obtained my MBA as well as my AICPA, CIA, and CFA certifications. I then moved to Korea to complete my military service, and was assigned to the Korean UDT/SEAL division, where I was ranked a Major. Upon completion of my term, I worked in the Internal Audit Department of Mitsubishi Corporation, Corporate Planning Depatment of HSBC, and was a Director with the Corporate Strategy Division of POSCO
My international experience has provided me with a great appreciation for the beauty found in architecture and interior design.
Movie