In Their Own Words

Japanese Style: Designing with Nature's Beauty examines why Americans are fascinated with organic design-build that the Japanese have been espousing for centuries. Adept at compact living and refined elegance and rustic simplicity, the Japanese just know how to do more, with less. This book includes how eco-friendly building--with natural materials such as wood, clay, straw, and stone--heals body and spirit; how Frank Lloyd Wright's organic architecture is rooted in Japanese design principles; and how verandas and gardens--in utilizing outside space as vibrant, living space--lend credence to American patio-courtyard lifestyle sensibilities. Color photos illustrate the timeless Zen aesthetic, e.g., in complementing modernism.