Posts By: zenassociates

Modern Adaption We had the pleasure of working with Zero Energy for this project in Belmont which put a contemporary spin on a classic 1960’s split-level home. We share an appreciation for clean, contemporary design which enhances our client’s well-being and creates a calming aesthetic.  We design to break down the barriers between the interior… Read more »

Calm Reverie Home and Design Magazine recently featured a very special project of ours on the Chesapeake Bay. This project began over 20 years ago when our Founder, Shin Abe designed a traditional Japanese Garden based on an abstraction of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Over the past 5 years, our interior design team has worked… Read more »

Back to Nature In this article, Peter White, principal landscape architect, and Rina Okawa, director of interior design share their insight on design principles used to strengthen the flow between interior and exterior spaces. These techniques create a seamless connection to our natural environment which enhances our well-being on a daily basis. DIG IN >

We wanted to share that our founder, Shinichiro Abe, was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation. Shin received this recognition for his longstanding contributions to spreading and cultivating Japanese Gardens in the United States as well as his efforts to promote the planting of the U.S.-Japan friendship Sakura ( cherry) trees. He received the award… Read more »

One  of the pleasant things about winter are the fond memories of walking through a  snowy landscape in the Arnold Arboretum or the Tower Hill Botanical Garden and looking at the winterberry hollies bursting with colorful fruits and the paperbark maples with their cinnamon peeling bark.

Mastering the Timeless Art of Japanese Design, Inside and Out Recently featured in New England Home Magazine, this article introduces many of the Japanese Design Principals which guide our work as we approach interior and landscape design projects. We are grateful that there is a growing appreciation for living our lives in balance with nature… Read more »

Update as of June, 2022 Since 1980, ZEN Associates has effectively managed through many challenges, we believe we have the resources in place to respond successfully.  Our Landscape and Interior Design, Landscape Construction and Maintenance departments are operating to service our clients in accordance with the CDC and State guidelines. Please know that every decision… Read more »

The Lush Life – A Private Garden in the Sky The increased interest in rooftop gardens is certainly understandable given the continued real estate boom in Boston! For this project, our clients were leaving the suburbs for the city but weren’t willing to say good-bye to their connection to the natural world. This article shares… Read more »

Tiers of Joy High up on a bluff overlooking Wellfleet Harbor and the Cape Cod National Seashore we designed the clients program to include – swimming pool, spa, outdoor kitchen and bar area, multiple fire features, outdoor shower, and a relaxing lounge area protected from the elements.  We were responsible for strategically navigating through a… Read more »

Sea & Sky -The Beauty Of Cape Ann Granite The incredible site of this North Shore home featured dramatic ledge, dynamic views, and an intriguing grade change between the driveway and the house.  The solution?  A bridge to the front entrance, terraces and walkways hewn from native Cape Ann granite, and plantings that frame the… Read more »

High Design Meets High Tech in a Chic Boston Condo ZEN Associates is proud to be featured in rise – New England Home’s premier publication focused on stylish city living. Our senior interior designer, Rina Okawa balanced the clean geometric lines of the open floor plan with the softness and warmth of natural materials to create a… Read more »

Monadanock Vistas Gardens Illustrated, the international horticulture publication, certainly picked one of our favorite projects when they chose to feature Sharon Malt’s Monadnock country estate. It was a pleasure to visit with Sharon and Tova Martin for the interview and share the story of our vision as we designed and planned for the evolving landscape… Read more »

Featuring the work of Shin Abe, ZEN Associates Visionary Landscapes written by Kendall Brown, examines the work of five leading landscape architects in North America who are exploring the extraordinary power of Japanese garden design to promote personal and social well-being. The Founder and Principal of ZEN Associates, Shin Abe was highlighted as one of… Read more »

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston ZEN Associates is excited for the reopening of Tenshin-en, the Japanese Garden at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston on April 27, 2015. We are proud to have had the opportunity to work with the MFA and the original support team to renovate this wonderful garden.  Tenshin-en’s much anticipated reopening… Read more »

5 Things to help your plants thrive! No one would argue that this has been a tough winter, but, in the end, it may have been toughest of all on plants, shrubs and sensitive trees. According to the arborists at ZEN Associates, here are five things to look out for after this brutal winter.

Washington, D.C. In a city known for its Japanese cherry blossom trees, developing a restoration plan for a historic Japanese-style garden only seemed natural.