For Paul and Shoko Shozi, a pair of retiring Angelenos, the goal was to shut out the neighborhood but bring in the sunny skies. Their new prefab home, the Tatami House, designed by Swiss architect Roger Kurath of Design*21, makes a central courtyard the physical, and maybe even the spiritual, center of the home. Because the Japanese maple in the courtyard had to be planted before the ipe deck was laid, Kurath designed a small removable panel to allow access to the tree’s base. The Shozis can pull up the bit of decking to tend to the tree and replace it when they’re through. And because the boards line up perfectly, only the gardener need know it’s there. From the kitchen and living room you’re well connected to the courtyard and the rest of the house. Photo 14 of 23 in 23 Unconventional Homes Built Around Trees from Looking Inward

23 Unconventional Homes Built Around Trees

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The Tatami House, designed by Swiss architect Roger Kurath of Design*21, features a Japanese maple in the central courtyard, following the traditional Japanese concept of bringing the outside scenery in. Because the tree had to be planted before the ipe deck was laid, Kurath designed a small, removable panel to allow the homeowners to tend to the tree and access its base. 

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