Looking to create its first new-build Cedartree Hotel in the United States, Japan-based developer Toyoho Sugimoto envisioned a marriage of the cultural sensibilities and features of Japanese hospitality, with the accommodations American travelers have come to expect. Working with an exceptionally aesthetic-minded brand, our team designed an experience-based stay unlike any other in the U.S.
Cedartree features unexpected amenities like an Onsen (outdoor hot spring soaking pool), Sado (ceremonial tea room), sake bar, and Japanese view garden. Artfully integrating these core spaces into a contemporary setting, the team took cues from the client’s homeland, the Northwest’s own connections to water and forests, and the concept of Wabi Sabi — or the ‘perfection in imperfection’ of nature transformed by time.
The first hint at being a distinctively different stay begins with a processional arrival. Emerging through a grove of Japanese maples, guests arrive at the dark-hewed building that both juxtaposes and complements its deep-green rural landscape. A simple composition of stone, plants and water are evocative of the traditional Japanese garden. Inside, the team pays homage to the traditional wood slat screen by layering spaces that create plays of light and dark, and frame views outside. Minimalist furniture, in-situ abstractions of flowing streams and seasonally-shifting plant life, all stand out against soft, neutral tones and materials.
As a brand specifically catering to Americans, Cedartree maintains the comforts of home while immersing guests in authentically Japanese delights — from the deliberate sequencing of spaces that create discovery, to the serene sights and sounds of nature, and the unexpected joy of new experiences.
