The Space Between
Ma is a Japanese term referring to distance, separation, interval, gap, temporal interval and also to psychological flow. In Japanese architecture ma refers to the regular intervals between structural posts and is further used to categorise rooms for activities.With this term we concern ourselves with the ‘space between.’ In its architectural context ma is the ‘event space’ of an activity or a moment, space defined by occupation of happening, occurrence, engagement of those present. Ma gives a volumetric and geometric value to this engagement, creating an activity or experiential chamber around which we build walls. Consider the tea ceremony: a series of human actions forming ritual, around which physicality is built to both contain and celebrate. The actions depict the geometry and volume of the built structure, pure design from within. So the heart of activity, of the intension, creates the physical world around it. This concept of building to contain, allow and honour event is diffe...