A Place to Pause
Consisting of Between Worlds, a shoji-inspired hanging screen room divider, and Memento Tempus, a ritualistic tea set, A Place to Pause is a project aimed at curating under-used home spaces to promote ritual in every day life.
Creating Space for Ritual in EverydayLife
Rituals bring meaning to the mundane, carving out moments of presence and intention within daily life. Rituals spark meaning into otherwise monotonous lives. This project explores how spatial design can support ritual by creating environments that invite mindfulness, reflection, and a sense of belonging.
Between Worlds
The Between Worlds hanging screen was designed to create a visual barrier for dividing space while still allowing some light and sound to filter through. Pierced aluminum panels provide just enough of a visual enclosure to make a separate space Installation is simple due to a tension-fit frame supporting the hanging screen panels and the quick link connection points between panels built into the design.
Modularity
The Between Worlds hanging screen was designed to create a visual barrier for dividing space while still allowing some light and sound to filter through. Installation is simple due to a tension-fit frame supporting the hanging screen panels and the quick link connection points between panels built into the design.
Ready to install any size up to 5" x 7," Between Worlds can be arranged in numerous patterns for different effects.
A unique connection
To provide maximum support for each hanging panel, soldered diamond- shaped links were designed along with a simple channel in the panel that allows the connection of panels in a jiffy. These slots, built into the design, allow for a simple connection and easy screen set up. It also introduces modularity, as the screen may be organized in many set-ups.
Memento Tempus
Gong Fu Cha is a peaceful, relaxing, and soothing ritual that can be performed at home. Numbers matter in Gong Fu Cha, and four is explicitly avoided as it is synonymous with death. With this in mind, the Memento Tempus tea set, meaning “Remember Time,” encourages the user to contemplate the small things that enrich and create joy in life, as to think of death reminds us of life’s beauty.
The Memento Tempus tea tray initiated the motif of triangles and squares representing the cycle of life and death, and this theme was carried throughout the other products to complete a ritual space. In the tea tray each triangle has a different direction, and some are completely cut out, but all are encompassed by a four-sided square. This symbolizes that despite the differences we all face in life, we all end the same – in death.
The tea pot is emptied into the fairness pitcher to evenly distribute the tea. The fairness pitcher for Memento Tempus was raised from a solid sheet of copper, which holds significance in that all other tea ware pieces were fabricated. This piece is universal, circular, and has no seams – as close to fair as one may get.
In traditional Gong Fu Cha, tea is strained through a bodhi leaf as it is poured into the fairness pitcher. This actual leaf skeleton catches fine tea particles. For Memento Tempus, a chrysanthemum leaf was chosen as the plant is associated with death in Chinese culture.
The teapot is symbolic because a square basin is filled to brew the tea, which is then poured through a triangular spout. The four-sided teapot brews “death,” but pours “life” from the three-sided triangular spout. Triangle handles allow the user to hold the pot with a positive touch.
The four irregular teacups transition from triangular tops to square bottoms. This is to show the passage of time and cycle of life when being used. The cup is filed to the triangular top, representing life as symbolized in the number three. However, the triangle transitions to a square at the bottom, symbolizing death. The slow drinking of tea from the cup reminds the user of the passage of time, and subtly of their own slow demise.
The Lotus Bowl is a small bowl meant to hold the tea leaves being used in this session’s brewing. Users may see and smell the tea leaves throughout the ritual.
A tea pet is a small, usually ceramic or brass animal or spirit figurine that is served a cup of tea, essentially adding them to the ceremony. Instead of inviting bad luck by drinking tea for one, pull out the tea pet and start pouring for two!