Conveyor-belt sushi and manga characters may now be as ubiquitous as Big Macs and Spiderman but Japanese cultural references are becoming much more refined and pervasive as the West becomes more enamoured with nature and the idea of unembellished living.


While Europe has arguably the most sophisticated and widely implemented green building programme within the developed world, Japanese architects have practised sustainable design for centuries without necessarily labelling it as such, making the most of limited space and resources with highly imaginative solutions.


This is why Wabi Sabi is set to be the new Zen. Whereas Zen places an emphasis on simplicity and calm – the premise being that a well-designed room or garden can have a positive effect on one’s well being – the aesthetic of Wabi Sabi is one of beauty that is ‘imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete’. Wabi Sabi implies restrained expression of the humble and the simple: a fusion between nature and humankind to create something of understated beauty.


This is best embodied by timber, which is now the material of choice for architects and designers worldwide, as less sustainable alternatives, such as concrete and synthetics, fall out of favour. In fact, it’s getting to the point where it is hard to find a new restaurant, bar, spa, hotel or even airport that does not aspire to the natural qualities offered by solid wood and stone, embracing the light and space crucial to the Wabi Sabi sensibility.


Take, Hotel Adlon’s brand-new restaurant complex in Berlin, 
for example, which now houses a collection of Wabi Sabi-themed MARestaurants – including the MATim Raue, Uma and Sh_ch Bar. As in many other fashionable European hotspots, the Asian-inspired interior uses high-quality materials such as slate, bronze, jade and dark woods to create a high-end luxurious but unpretentious ambience.


Meanwhile, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects recently designed a Wabi Sabi house in Houston, Texas, of all places. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 350m2 wooden house combines naturally ageing cedar, 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 US. The project has been so well received that Carol Isaak Barden & Company now plans to build a series of Wabi Sabi houses throughout Houston.


The influence of Japanese architecture is being felt in some other unexpected places. In October, Tokyo-based firm Nikken Sekkei bagged the contract to design a new €70bn “city within a city” for Dubai. Jumeirah Gardens will feature several major parks and smaller community parks to ensure extensive green areas. A large canal will run through the heart of the development to the sea. 


In a statement, Nakamura Mitsuo, Nikken Sekkei chairman, said: “Our spirit complements the latest international market trends in sustainability, especially here in the Middle East, where efficiency, design and sustainability are combined with a long-term vision.”