Modern House

This project explored the development of a modular design system informed by the proportional logic of Japanese tatami layouts and the work of architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The project drew upon the research of Heino Engel, whose studies of traditional Japanese architecture document the varied arrangements of tatami and their relationship to different room types. Rather than replicating historical precedents, the system adapts these proportional principles to generate a contemporary architectural language.

While no single historical standard exists for tatami dimensions, a typical mat is proportioned at approximately 1:2. Adopting this ratio as a generative framework, the project established a system of wall panels based on a 4:1 tatami module, with panel heights set at one and one-third tatami and ceiling heights at one and one-half tatami.

The leaded glass elements were developed through a series of related grid systems. By maintaining divisions based on multiples of eighteen, the design sought to avoid awkward spatial discontinuities between adjoining components and ensure proportional coherence throughout the scheme.