Feel The Rain

The project was designed to be constructed on the island of Yakushima, Japan. Rain is a nearly constant part of life on Yakushima. However, it is not simply a weather event. It is an emotional entity symbolizing renewal and transformation. Feel The Rain celebrates the rain by creating unique moments for guests to feel rain via a journey through the senses. The design is fine-tuned to allow one to hear, see, smell, touch and taste the rain in all its wonder. Similarly, just as rain offers renewal, transformation and life to the earth, Feel the Rain is intended to offer guests an opportunity for rest and renewal of their own bodies, minds and spirits. Through communion with the surrounding nature, the rain itself and the carefully designed spaces within, guests are offered a stay that will leave them feeling grounded and refreshed. They will have acquired an inspired appreciation for the beauty and emotion of the rain, which in many ways defines life on Yakushima.
Bringing the concept of Feel The Rain to fruition entailed creating architectural roof forms that enhance guests’ sensory experience. The Sensory Shodos symbolically combine the Shodo for rain with the architectural form of each sense.
The massing of Feel the Rain is defined by its connection to the earth and sky. It is strongly grounded in the island of Yakushima itself, rising up as an outcropping of the island’s granite roots. It further connects to the island’s natural slopes, as the stone monoliths of its base step down the hillside. The roofs of the building uniquely define its' connection to the sky. Each roof is a canvas that tells the story of the guest’s sensory experience below. The walls are simply the connection between earth and sky, completing the internal space. Finally, reflecting ponds and dry creek beds surround it, showcasing the energy of the rain when it falls.
The architectural form of each sense was intentionally placed over the most appropriate spaces within the home. This creates a connection between the sensory experience of the rain and the activity within. Rain brings Feel the Rain to life. In its static form on a clear day, the structure is peaceful and compelling. However, when the rain comes, the building is activated and the energy of the rain is accentuated by the building’s architecture. Swooping curved roofs act as rain collectors to create small waterfalls. The rough cut granite tile exterior cladding highlights the dance of the rain as it flows down the rainwater wall. While, the dry creek bed fills with water from the overflow of the reflecting ponds and surrounds the structure with movement and energy. Inside, the rainwater weathered chimney will rust to show the impact of rain over time. As a result, the Not A Hotel is transformed during a rainfall, and by rainfalls over time.