FRANK LLOYD SHOJI?

At least that was the reference my client made when she first saw the finished product installed in her office. I am very fortunate when a client allows me the freedom to come up with a design that lets the creative juices to flow. The initial job requested was for a bypass shoji screen to buffer the morning sun.
I wanted to achieve balance aesthetically, while offering two different views. One of the many great things about shoji as window treatment is the diversity of patterns that can be created. As you can see in this instance where angles were chosen versus the typical squares.
The shoji screens were built in the Japanese tradition using Port Orford Cedar and Unryu paper.

MAKING SHOJI

Shoji screens come from an origin in the history of Japan which no one to this date has been able to pin point. In the early days there were wooden exterior doors that had to be lifted up to be opened. Behind these doors was another door, which had wooden lattice covered with paper to let light in. By the 11th century, shoji had evolved into its present style.

These are two examples of basic shojis, handcrafted in the Japanese tradition using Port Orford Cedar, rice paper, and rice glue. However, in the stone tub above, I used plexiglass for the high humidity in this particular bath.

Shojis can be made to by-pass or slide, bi-fold, or be free-standing. The applications are endless and the structural design of each shoji can be modified to please many architectural requirements.

Many thanks to Toshio Odate for sharing his art of making shoji.