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This is a house with an extremely simple pitched roof. Only 40 percent of the space under the roof is enclosed as the internal space. The vastly cantilevered roof edge provides exclusive column-less space extending out to the very Japanese landscape.The main theme of the house is the space under the eave. The existence of the internal space relies very much onto the intermediate space. Every detail of this house is designed to achieve the column-less eave space. The folded shape of pitched roof helps the very thin cantilevering roof to stretch almost 6 metres.
The roof is just strong enough but it droops about 5 centimetres under snow pressure. The upper railing of the sliding door hangs directly from the roof. The full-height sliding doors allow internal space to be converted into 100 percent external space.
The architects believe that the true nature of Japanese architecture lies in the intermediate space between outside and inside. The internal space exists, because the intermediate space exists. The client requested a simple house responding to the Japanese landscape. This is the attempt to amplify the 'Japanese-ness' to the limit as the latest technology allows.