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As soon as he decided that Vietnam would be his next stop on the journey of his career, Imai Hisashi chose The Zen Park as the starting point for the expansion of Sobokuya. With a typical Japanese design, this place features bonsai trees, a Koi pond and a red gate commonly found in Japanese temples here.
The office in Hanoi has a west-facing facade, which is rarely chosen by Vietnamese people for their houses because it gets direct sunlight from noon till evening. To overcome the heat and stuffiness, Imai thought of designing a wooden door and a small indoor garden at the entrance of the office. Stepping through the door, you will obviously feel the temperature difference as wood is an effective insulation material, especially in the summer. With the modern design “closed outside, open inside” of Sobokuya Vietnam, the office is always filled with natural light, creating a separation between outside (garden area) and inside (working area).
Originated from the townhouses in Kyoto, which have narrow façades and long shapes, this aesthetic is often seen in Japanese gardens at temples, and past residences of nobility and samurais. Nowadays, small gardens are becoming evermore popular in modern house designs.
At Sobokuya Vietnam’s office, we have designed a small, simple but typical Japanese garden. We strive to bring an authentic experiences to clients who want to visit the Japanese space in the heart of Hanoi.
The smaller the garden is, the more design requirements there are so that it matches the common space of the office. Through the stone and gravel path is the murmur of water and green bushes creating a feeling of relaxation and coolness. A stone lantern is an indispensable decoration in the garden. All the items are shipped directly from Japan by Sobokuya Vietnam so that we can create a sense of authenticity and familiarity for those who love Japan.
We always want to bring to Vietnam the most unique and familiar Japanese things and use them in Sobokuya ‘s office. Imai came up with the idea of building a tea room in the workplace from the first days when he was drawing up his design. To make it easy for passersby to observe, we chose to arrange the tea room at the corner on the right-hand side of the small garden.
A traditional Japanese tea room often uses Shoji doors which are 100% handmade by Japanese craftsmen. The doors are usually opened to connect separated spaces in the office but also can be closed to create a separate room for meetings or discussions with guests.
In addition, we also ordered Tatami mats in the form of 9 small pieces to facilitate the transportation from Japan to Vietnam. The Tatami mats used by Sobokuya are handcrafted traditionally in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Kyushu – Japan’s most famous Tatami mat-making region.
If you step out onto the porch, where the roof is made entirely of Hinoki wood, you can feel the tranquility inside, completely contrasting with the hustle and bustle outside.
Lucky rake – a mascot often placed in traditional Japanese houses with the hope to bring luck and prosperity to the owner.
Since ancient times, the rake has been considered as a tool to rake fallen leaves, meaning “harvesting fortune and prosperity”; they became popular and often used in houses.
We put the lucky rake in the office of Sobokuya Vietnam with the hope to achieve much success in the future in this beautiful country.
The AKARI lights designed by architect Isamu Noguchi are used to create a cozy atmosphere for the room. They are created from Japanese paper with an exquisite design that creates harmony with the surrounding environment.
With 6 lights of different designs placed in different places in the office, you can touch and feel their exquisite beauty.
In the office of Sobokuya Vietnam, there is a large desk made from a Sugi wood panel that is over 150 years old. The desk is where we sketch out the designs for future projects.
All furnishings such as bookshelves, kitchen furniture, etc., are created while taking advantage of the natural curve of Sugi wood to highlight the natural charm of wooden materials.