The Gardens of Kyoto, Japan - Paving & Step Details

Stone paving, pathways and steps in the gardens of Kyoto sometimes have as much design behind them as do the gardens.  In some cases, the stone designs are stand-alone works of art.  Here are a few examples of stonework that I observed there.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Visiting Luang Prabang is like going back in time.  The city, located along the Mekong River is a World Heritage Site because "it is a well preserved and outstanding example of the fusion of traditional architecture and Lao urban structures with those built by the Euopean colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries." (source:http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/luangprabang.html)  Fortunately, this will leave most of the city preserved for the future.  There are a few loop holes to this but at least there will not be drastic development to alter the city.  The picture above shows two young monks-in-training, known as novices crossing a bridge that leads into the city.




Main Street in Luang Prabang at night.  As you can see, the most active street is still very low-key.




The waterfront in most cities would be overrun with hotels and other attractions, but not here.  In terms of landscape architecture, Luang Prabang is mainly natural and vernacular.  There are small landscape designs here and there but overall, it is left to nature.




One of the many temples (also known as a vat) in Luang Prabang.




The Kouangsi waterfall just outside of Luang Prabang.




Smaller falls after the main one.



Irrigation detail for a garden along the shores of the Mekong River.

The ancient tradition of giving alms to the Buddhist monks in the town is still kept up.  Giving alms in Buddhism is the act of giving food to the monks early each morning.  The food collected is all they are allowed to eat for the day.  Their bright orange robes add a design element wherever they go in Luang Prabang; a striking contrast to their surroundings.

Sunset on the Mekong River.

Proud Phu Fah Resort, Northern Thailand

The countryside of northern Thailand has some breathtaking natural landscapes. We saw much of it when we rented a motorcycle and went on an adventure into the hills.  Unfortunately, the hotel we read about at our destination was out of business. As the sun was setting and the temperature dropping, we came upon a little resort tucked away in the hills.  It is called Proud Phu Fa and it is a gem. The next morning, we were able to take a closer look around and experience the wonderful design elements it contains.




The "rooms" are individual private bungalows.  This was the entrance into ours.




Bungalow floor plan.




Each bungalow has an entry garden which separates the bedroom from the bathroom.  The garden enhances a guest's connection to nature and is very soothing.  It also helps to reinforce the feeling of being out in the surrounding countryside even while being in the bedroom area.




The bathroom.



View to the private patio from the bedroom.




The back of the bungalow.




One of the many features I liked at the resort are these interesting brick walls.  They are broken up into sections with space between each.  They effectively reduce the massiveness of the sum with these breaks.  The walls also create visual interest by protruding some of the brick courses forward from the face.




The brick walls serve as a backdrop to the elevated hut sitting area.




Close up of the walls and the space between.




Everywhere you look at Proud Phu Fa, there are small details that add so much to the overall design scheme.  I really loved this raw concrete wall with a flower design; a great contrast of material.




Design details.




Design details.




Lately, I have been studying stone mosaic design and would like to incorporate one into a design in the future.  Here, a simple stone design is very effective on the step treads.




Overall, Proud Phu Fah was a fantastic and unexpected find.  The designer did a great job of blending the numerous design elements together and I took much inspiration from its many parts.

Fern Paradise, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fern Paradise is the amazing idea of a Thai architect, Dr. Niwat. His vision was to transform this site, just outside the city, into a lush oasis where travelers can stay and relax in a beautiful environment. He acquired the site and then started to acquire rice barns from surrounding farms that were disposing of them. After deconstructing the barns, they were transported to Fern Paradise, reconstructed on the property and then designed to serve as individual guest houses. Upon arrival, you feel as though you have been transported into a lush tropical rain forest. Everything here has been well thought out and designed with a purpose. Everywhere you look there are subtle details that add to the experience. We was fortunate to have a private tour of the property with Dr. Niwat in which he explained his design of Fern Paradise and his passion for ferns.




Dr. Niwat has an enclosed area where he keeps his most mature and stunning ferns. The first viewing was at night and had a very mysterious feel.

The region in which Chiang Mai is located has the perfect climate for ferns, according to Dr. Niwat: the perfect combination of sun, moisture and temperature.



The Fern Paradise nursery is very extensive: you will find ferns growing in various stages from spore to adult sporophyte.

Fern Paradise contains all 18 species of ferns, a fact that the doctor is very proud of. I especially enjoyed hearing his stories of how he acquired some of them.

The "Fern Doc" teaching me about the life cycle of ferns.

The enclosed area during the day.




Light Fixture at Fern Paradise.

Fern detail.




A very inventive use of moss as a light shade. These lights emitted an incredible glow throughout the outdoor dining area.




Fern growing off of tree outside our rice barn.




The picture Dr. Niwat is holding is the King and Queen of Thailand next to a water wheel. He found this picture and was inspired to build his own water wheel to irrigate the property. These days sustainability has become a buzzword in landscape architecture and the Doctor is certainly a prime example of an innovator of sustainable design.

Unfortunately, we had to leave before seeing the water wheel fully operational.

The view out to the courtyard from our rice barn.

The rice barn in Thai culture is an icon. It is great to see how Dr. Niwat has taken these original structures and transformed them into another usable piece of architecture. Instead of building new guest cottages to mimic rice barns, he has linked the past in a truly special way.



The interior of our rice barn.