Architecture Begins with　Dialogue

Change your thoughts, and your words will change.
Change your words, and your actions will change.
Change your actions, and your habits will change.
Change your habits, and your character will change.
Change your character, and your destiny will change.

— Mother Teresa
 

Where you live shapes the life you live.

Your home is the place where you will spend nearly 500,000 hours of your life.

How many times will you stand in your kitchen and look out at the same view?

How many times will you walk from your bedroom to the bathroom?
 

The morning light streaming through a window.

The scent of wood.

The sound of the wind.

The feeling of the floor beneath your feet.
 

Your everyday movements and posture.

The distance between family members.
 

The words you share with one another.

A home continually speaks to all five senses.

And through those senses, it shapes the way we think.
 

Our ordinary thoughts shape how we perceive the world.

They influence what time we wake up,

who we choose to spend time with,

what conversations we have,

and the countless decisions we make every day.
 

In time, our lives unfold according to the way we think.
 

Since ancient times, the Japanese have treasured the idea of Kotodama—the belief that words carry spirit and power.

It has long been said that the words we choose create the life we live.
 

When the quality of our thoughts and words changes,

our actions and choices change.

Our habits change.

Our character changes.
 

We begin to attract different opportunities.

The events before us take on new meaning.

Our relationships change.
 

The meaning we give to each experience shapes our next choice,

and ultimately,

our destiny.
 

When I design a home,

I begin by talking about life.

If life is a film,

the homeowner is the protagonist,

the screenwriter,

and the director.
 

I listen to the story they wish to live.

Then I create the stage upon which that story can unfold.

Whether life follows the script depends greatly on the stage itself.
 

A home is a place of healing.

Architecture has the power to awaken the potential within us.
 

Naoyuki Kikkawa
Architect