Problem
The archetypal zen view occurs in a famous Japanese house, which gives this pattern its name.
Solution
If there is a beautiful view, don’t spoil it by building huge windows that gape incessantly at it. Instead, put the windows which look onto the view at places of transition — along paths, in hallways, in entry ways, on stairs, between rooms. If the view window is correctly placed, people will see a glimpse of the distant view as they come up to the window or pass it: but the view is never visible from the places where people stay.
Related Patterns
… how should we make the most of a view? It turns out that the pattern which answers this question helps to govern not the rooms and windows in a building, but the places of transition. It helps to place and detail Entrance Transition (112), Entrance Room (130), Short Passages (132), Staircase as a Stage (133) - and outside, Paths and Goals (120).
Put in the windows to complete the indirectness of the view - Natural Doors and Windows (221) place them to help the Tapestry of Light and Dark (135) and build a seat from which a person can enjoy the view - Window Place (180). If the view must be visible from inside a room, make a special corner of the room which looks onto the view, so that the enjoyment of the view becomes a definite act in its own right …
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 641.