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Seattle-based architecture firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen have designed the Wabi Sabi house in Houston, Texas for developer Carol Isaak Barden+Company.

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese expression that implies the restrained expression of the humble and the simple. In Japan and China, Zen implies an emphasis on simplicity and sobriety, and Zen temples are sublimely refined and restrained. The monks have always been aware that a well-designed room or garden could have a positive effect on one’s well being.

Rick Sundberg, the lead architect on the project, his first in Texas, says, “Working on a spec house has its own challenges– creating a home that can accommodate a wide range of lifestyles and families; from active young families to empty-nesters.”

Set in a traditional residential neighborhood of Houston, close to Rice University and near the cultural center of the city, the three-bedroom, 3,750 square-foot wooden house, combines the beauty of natural materials and simple modern forms. Old-growth trees on the site were not only preserved, but Sundberg’s design takes advantage of their presence with strategically placed windows, and in one case, decking that flows around a pecan tree. The warmth of naturally aged cedar siding is echoed inside the home with the use of salvaged wood, bamboo and reclaimed teak. Skylights in the middle of the building, operable windows, and an expansive roof deck allow for natural light and ventilation –making a sustainable statement in the most air-conditioned city in the U.S.

However, this is not a one-off project. Carol Isaak Barden + Company plan to build a series of Wabi Sabi Houses in Houston.