Don is this the building you are referring to??
http://www.jgarden.org/images_gardens/hakone_saratoga26.jpg
and why would you not take the theme which you obviously have and adjust it for the site as you require?
edzard

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi edzard,

Thanks for the photo but thats not the building,.. thats actually one of the enterance gates.

I don't truely understand your question?

I've seen many tea houses and find them too formal, I'd rather have some thing more rustic,..?

I'll post a picture when I go visit again.
Don

Don,.. did you check the other photo's? there were more buildings and obviously I am not familiar with the garden.

What I meant is that tea houses, waiting huts are designed for the space rather than copied from elsewhere,.. unless there is an association with that particular design,.. Niwashisan's umbrella hut, etc.

therefore I expected that you would be designing your own to the level of rusticity you require... same principle as gardens and solution driven.
Its a box... whether using 'white wood' or 'black wood', peeled unpeeled, for the Emperor/Japanese, whether a branch or a finished post or rafter, eaves, roofing materials, bronze capping or whatever..
the design rusticity is merely a comparison of finish, or understood as -shin-gyo- so...

If there are questionable areas perhaps they may be discussed, others might chime in, offer solutions or benefit from the notes.
edzard

I totally understand now :)

Thanks for the clairity.

You are right, I should design my own structure based on my needs, and intend to. I was just looking for a starting point.

The thought behind my sturcture is to have it fully adjustable to suit my needs. This would be possible by removing the boards that make up the walls. If I wanted an open air feel to have a bbq I could take down all the walls, if I wanted to close it up for the winter for storage of tools then I could close it up. If the wind is blowing and want to have lunch just take down one or two of the walls.

I have two problems in my design. The main problem is designing the walls to incorporate a door, but still having the ability to convert it into a covered awning.

The second problem is desiging a roof that has japanese inspiration.

Don

I have no clue if this makes any sense at all :P but here are some of my preliminary drawings.

I did take a look at all the photos,.. this building is so simple that I believe it often gets overlooked =(.

Don

If one BBQ's one is standing.
Therefore the users are not expected to sit on the floor. Therefore part walls could be built and the inner 2/3's (or all or part) of the wall could swing up into the roof rather than to the side. I would run planed 1x6 or 8 cedar fencing material, vertical rather than horizontal.. horizontal makes the eye look past side to side, vertical makes the eye go up to the architecture and is simpler to 'batten' as a construction.
Weight is everything. Mylar windows, etal.
This would save labour of fasting and removing and would also facilitate inner sliding windows that could move/remove, etc.
I do not know the climate or wind factor... though I would use 6x6 rounded or eased edge (keeping the inside squared for fastening but eased, outside rounded) --stained walnut/pecan, add a few drops of deep red... then blowtorch a part of it in the stressed, adzed marks.

On the other hand, use irregular shaped treetrunks, attach a 1x6 to one side squared to center of post, then saw the inner edges for the inset slides.. then switch to the cut side rim off irregularities.. this way outside is rustic inside is squared but rustic. To get straight edge that lines up, sight with laser or the old way, chalk or dip in water-trough so points match up for base and top for beaming and roof building.

Then use natural oils for the outside finish, leave bark in places, find trunks with insect cavities... gaps between the window tracks are plastered, the windows then are not equal in width, and this way, if one is hung lower than the next the windows/walls can lift up and lie uniform on the ceiling for 'finish texture'. Shin because of eating in the open, rustic inner roof with spider webs may be to natural.
Much depends on the inside pattern of the inner roof, whether beaming shows or a pattern is marqueed into the roof between supports.
What 'rustic' do you wish for?

Over design the building Don... then simplify, and continuing to simplify until you reach the simplicity you wish to have people feel relaxed to what degree.
imo,
edzard