Borrowed space, and time?
Borrowed scenery, or “shakkei”, has its origins in 17th century Chinese garden design. It is thought that through the proper application of this design technique, the perception of space and continuity can be manipulated.
Borrowed space, an offshoot of borrowed scenery, has taken root as a design technique in modern architecture, although some of the essentials to achieve shakkei in garden design have evolved. In architecture, the idea is that the perception of space can be expanded beyond its boundaries, or footprint, through planned views of adjacent scenery, continuation of planes and materials from the interior to the exterior, and expansive areas of voids or glass. It is thought that the use of these strategies can in effect “dot” lines or ”blur” the edges of a building and its site, resulting in a more harmonious relationship between a space/home, its occupants, and the perpetual cycle of life that envelopes it. From a sustainability standpoint, it’s a way to make a space feel larger than it is. Think mind over matter.
So, it seems possible to manipulate our perception of space using design. Is the same true when it comes to the fourth dimension—time? We experience architecture much like we do a landscape—we journey over time from one space, or opening, to another via paths or traffic areas. In fact, it’s often said by architecture critics that you cannot truly understand a work of architecture unless you visit it first hand. You need to walk through spaces, taking in perspectives and volumes, changing views, ambient sounds, smells and the effects of light. It is that last element, the light, that could be the key to how we change our relationship to, and perception of, time.
On a clear dark night looking out into a starry sky, we have a view to infinity and the past. At the speed of light (299,792,458 meters per second), it takes 1.3 seconds for moonlight, and around 8 minutes for sunlight, to reach Earth. The nearest star to ours is a short 4.25 light years away! That brings up questions about how we perceive time. Of course we are in the present when we witness the downward tumble of an autumn leaf from a nearby maple on a sunny day. But, are we simultaneously experiencing the past when we feel the warmth of the sunlight that took 8 minutes to arrive? How about when we witness light from a star that died millions of years ago?
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Why bring all this up on a cabin build blog? As we approached the planning stage of our home, we gathered and researched strategies around sustainability and design that we might consider. We became interested in using our project to play with ideas such as borrowed space. We wanted to test for ourselves if design could be used to expand the perception of space beyond our home’s footprint, or to encourage a stronger connection to our surroundings. For us, it was all worthy of exploration.