Harris County Pct. 4 Central Facility Construction Progress

Mercer Arboretum Tea House

Urban Architecture is proud to announce the completion of the Mercer Arboretum Tea House!

The Tea House evolved from an early structure built on the present site to be used by Mercer guests as a place of refuge and contemplation. The challenge to replace that early structure was to begin a process of research into the meaning of Japanese Tea houses and the timber forms that made it distinctively Japanese. We, at Urban Architecture, were enchanted with the process and studied classic examples of the Tea House, Japanese joinery and the tools used in their construction. The result created a cross between a Tea House and Shrine...not designed for the traditional use of Tea ceremonies or for formal meditation, but to continue to be a place where patrons of Mercer can enjoy the peaceful solitude on the edge of Storey Lake.

The structural form is visually at rest...without tension. The place is where one wants to see the sunrise or sunset...enjoy the fog or rain or a sunny day. The Tea House is another Mercer treasure.