From the editor

One of the silver linings of the last two years has been a renewed appreciation for being outdoors. While all manner of bricks-and-mortar service providers have been forced to close (by government order or otherwise), many of us have turned our gaze outwards — to local parks, beaches, hiking trails and riverbanks to gather with friends and family in a ‘COVID-safe’ way or just spend time alone outside of the house. It’s for this reason that we decided to dedicate this issue of Design Anthology to the great outdoors.

In addition to the features our editorial team has scoured the region to share with you, I’m most excited about the five homes in this issue. It’s always difficult to choose a favourite, and these are all definitely up there — not least the Pink House by Ho Chi Minh-based 23o5studio for its graphic architectural styling softened with plenty of lush foliage. This home is a great example of the contemporary architecture currently being built in Vietnam, a country we’re keeping our eye on for its thrilling architecture and design trajectory. We’re equally appreciative of the indoor-outdoor quality of the Tokyo Garden House by Keiji Ashizawa, the lush ‘green’ house in Singapore by L Architects, the open pavilion-style home in central Bangkok by PHTAA Living Design, and the meditative qualities of Mao Shen Chiang’s home in Taiwan.

Each of these homes possesses a quality I love: the blurring of boundaries between indoors and out. There’s something a little dreamy about being in a space that’s open to the elements — maybe it’s the idea of an endless summer or being on permanent vacation. More than that, though, there’s evidence that being surrounded by plants and greenery can have a calming and soothing effect on us, and we all know the benefits of fresh air and natural light.

From myself and the team, we wish you all the best for the year ahead and hope you enjoy leafing, pun intended, through this issue.

Stay well.

Inside the issue

Dossier

Openings
A new online store opening from Singapore

Products
New collections and collaborations 

Read
Upcoming and new books on design, art, interiors and architecture from the world’s best publishers

A Day in the Life
We spend a spring day with Yukari Iki, the owner of Tokyo’s charming Little Shop of Flowers

Design Research
In Lo—tek. Design by Radical Indigenism, landscape architect Julia Watson explores the design approaches and technologies developed by Indigenous people over millennia

Studio Culture
Indonesian firm RAW Architecture’s culture of fellowship and learning is carefully nurtured by founder Realrich Sjarief

Textiles
In India, Bali and Tokyo, the ancient craft of indigo dyeing is being preserved and revived by a group of committed practitioners

Style

Editor’s Picks
A few of our favourite recycled or handmade pieces

Sustainable Fashion, Thailand
As the fashion industry faces up to its responsibilities in the climate crisis, Thai designers are forging a more sustainable future

Wanderlust

Photo Essay, China
Russian photographer Irina Kovalchuk’s humanistic photography documents China’s cultural and geographic diversity

Hotel, Japan
Designed by architect Yasushi Horibe, guntû is a serene boutique hotel floating on the Seto Inland Sea

Openings
The best of the new boutique and luxury designer hotels from around the world

Vernissage

Profile
Japanese master carver Ryosuke Yazaki creates intriguing forms in his studio just outside of Tokyo

Environmental Art
These artists reflect on the issues facing their local environments and the broader natural world

Home

Tainan
Self-taught architect Mao Shen Chiang’s triangular home is an exploration and an idyllic refuge

Singapore
L Architects transformed the sense of context for this home through structural design and plants

Long Xuyên
Swathed in dusty pink and open to the elements, this cavernous home by 23o5studio offers greenery and geometry at every turn

Tokyo
Architect Keiji Ashizawa created a minimalist sanctuary in the centre of Tokyo that complements an existing home of his own design

Bangkok
PHTAA Living Design conceived this multigenerational family home as a series of private and communal spaces connected by glass and greenery

Architectonics

Concert Hall, China
Architecture studio OPEN’s Chapel of Sound is an open-air concert hall that blends with the surrounding mountainscape

Landscape Architecture
Though often overlooked, landscape architecture plays a crucial role in greening cities and mitigating the negative effects of climate change and biodiversity loss

The Flâneur

Imbalanced Surroundings
A flâneur is an urban explorer — a connoisseur of the street. In our rotating column, guests share their musings, observations and critiques of the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, arts and culture writer Tomás Pinheiro traces the contours of his adopted hometown Rio via its beachfront