ELEMENTAL NIRVANA
Contemplation and communion with nature inspire the residence of two practising Buddhists
探索滿載大自然元素的世外桃源，成就兩位佛教徒的專屬靜思空間
A faint breeze rustles the needles of a wizened pine tree, which extends a tender bough over a channel of raked pebbles and towards a boulder bordered by shores of moss. A wayward sunbeam warms a patch of a handcrafted tatami mat, teasing out the distinctly transportive scent of woven igusa straw. These elements form a zen microcosm within a whitewashed courtyard and an adjoining meditation room – yet they aren’t nestled within an Edo-period machiya townhouse in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district, but in a two-storey, 7,500sqft family residence on Victoria Peak, occluded by forest on all sides.
Indeed, Japan’s cultural capital is a frequent reference in this home of two devout Buddhists who are frequent travellers to Kyoto, as well as their young daughter. Deferring to the design talents of husband-and-wife duo Jason Yung and Caroline Ma of Jason Caroline Design, the homeowners sought to transform their property – a rarity in Hong Kong for its relative seclusion and abundant outdoor space – into a personal nirvana that’s separated from the chaos of the city below.
微風吹拂著凋謝的松葉，沙沙作響。松樹嫩枝於蜿蜒曲折的碎石小道垂落綻放，延展至另一邊的苔蘚植物中。一縷陽光照射在親手編織而成榻榻米地蓆，散發著一抹獨特的藺草香氣。在這個刷白粉飾的庭園與相接的打座室中佈滿各式各樣的大自然元素，成就充滿禪意的縮微式園林景觀。如果你以為這是江戶時代中的京都東山區町屋就錯了，它的真正身分是位於太平山頂的7,500平方呎兩層住宅。坐落城中的宅舍被一望無際的茂密叢林包圍，是一片遠離塵囂的和諧淨土。
事實上，日本文化之都的確為核心創作靈感。來自Jason Caroline Design Ltd.的容基祐(Jason)及馬家柔(Caroline)夫婦認為天然庭園主題特別適合這個愛到京都旅遊的三人家庭，而當中的禪意風情畫更專為兩位虔誠的佛教徒度身訂造。設計師重新裝潢繁盛鬧市中的私密家居，打造成一個自在安樂的避風港。
“When we were in architecture school in the ’80s, we were all influenced by Japanese architects of that era, so we understand the traditional Japanese style well,” explains Jason. Yet he’s quick to distance himself from calling it a Japanese home, instead referring to it simply as “zen minimalist design – an empty, minimalist type of approach.”
Even then, this label threatens to oversimplify the aesthetic that, upon closer inspection, unfurls a cornucopia of details. Past the front entrance, the level bifurcates into upper and lower levels – the stair bannisters leading upwards featuring a complex, abstract leaf pattern cut from
Jason為我們分享他的創作之道：「在八十年代，日本建築師的設計風格風靡一時，而當時正學習建築的我們亦深受影響。因此，我們十分了解傳統日本建築概念。」與日式家園相比，他認為以簡單素靜來形容這個空間更為貼切。「柔和精巧的設計風格才是關鍵，完美闡釋了禪宗之美。」
然而，一句簡單的描述都未能盡現真正的美學。在這個滿載細節的寶庫中，大門位置旁邊的分岔走道正是一例。通往上層的樓梯扶手以臨摹樹葉的金屬裝置點綴，而下層走道則以神社鳥居中獨有的注連繩為靈感。
a sheet of metal, while the downward stairs are accompanied by a “handrail” reminiscent of the sacred shimenawa rope that’s traditionally hung over the torii gates of Shinto shrines.
Intentional connection defines the floor plan. Since cooking is a favourite pastime for the family, the kitchen serves as a nexus of sorts, connecting to the zen garden and the dining room, which in turn connects to the organic garden in the backyard. The home theatre, meanwhile, is demarcated from the study by locally sourced shoji sliding paper doors, while the master bedroom’s high volumes allowed Jason and Caroline to create a mezzanine level for a TV lounge. Perhaps the most jealousy-inducing aspect is the daughter’s bedroom; thanks to a similarly ample ceiling height, it’s able to accommodate a loft that can be reached via a bouldering wall, thus adding a third dimension to the space.
Throughout, Jason and Caroline also sought to connect the home’s inhabitants with the surrounding nature using windows and skylights as framing devices – a design choice that harks back to the famous Windows of Enlightenment and Confusion at the Zen Buddhist temple of Genkō-an in Kyoto. The monastic atmosphere continues inside the living room, with its prodigious use of walnut
巧妙連結為宅舍的佈局奠下基本設計方向。舉例來說，家庭成員熱愛下廚，廚房必然是生活中的重要一部分。此處與其他生活環境無縫連接，左右兩旁分別是禪式花園和飯廳，而內部庭園則是飯廳的背景。除此之外，家庭影院和書房之間以選材本地的日式拉門作分隔。由於主人房間樓底較高，Jason和Caroline兩人更為空間添置夾層式的電視休息室。環觀女兒的睡房，通往閣樓的攀石牆裝飾極具創意，充滿玩味的設計實在羨煞旁人。
將大自然與室內空間融為一體也是設計重點。設計師二人藉著窗戶和天窗把室外的迷人景致引到室內，美麗的畫面與京都源光庵中的頓悟之窗及迷惘之窗完美響應。猶如寺院般的氣氛亦沒有就此打住，客廳中的胡桃木牆壁和地板散發著與別不同的安寧氣息。為了柔化嚴肅的氛圍，設計師Patricia Urquiola專為品牌B&B Italia打造的檸檬綠Tufty-Too組合式沙發注入一絲獨有的活力。
walls and flooring, but stops short of becoming overly austere thanks to an unmissable limegreen Tufty-Too sectional designed by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia.
On their nuanced approach to designing these interiors, which needed to function as a luxury home as much as a religious sanctuary, Jason explains, “We don’t have to be a millionaire to design for a millionaire, but we need to get into their life.” In the same vein, it doesn’t take a devout pilgrim to foster a sense of reverence for this deeply purifying abode. //
糅合奢華和神聖兩種截然不同的風格看似困難，需要悉心照顧每個細節。Jason解釋：「你不必變得與屋主完全一樣，了解他們的個人特色和愛好就足以打造一個令人滿意的居所。」同樣，即使設計師不是一位虔誠的信徒，也能完美締造一間引人矚目的純淨聖所。//
BEDROOM DREAMS
A bouldering wall lets the couple's daughter rock climb to the loft above, accessible as well via staircase.
歡樂無比
女兒睡房攀石牆能夠通往閣樓，充滿玩味的設計實在引人矚目。