Skip to content
The Pitched Roof הויז by Takaharu Tezuka and Yui Tezuka

The Pitched Roof הויז by Takaharu Tezuka and Yui Tezuka is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2021 A' Design Award אין זילבער in אַרכיטעקטור, בנין און סטרוקטור דיזײַן Competition Category.


זילבעראַרכיטעקטור· 2021

The Pitched Roof הויז

by Takaharu Tezuka and Yui Tezuka

Client: Tezuka Architects

A' Design Award אין זילבער Winner in אַרכיטעקטור Category

19,881

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #117210

Colors

The Design

About The Pitched Roof הויז

דער געשפּיצטער דאַך איז אַ איין-שטאָקיק הויז אין קאַרויזאַווע, יאַפּאַן, באַדעקט מיט אַ זייער פּשוטן געשפּיצטן דאַך. נאָר פערציק פּראָצענט פונעם פּלאַץ אונטערן דאַך איז פאַרשלאָסן, אַזוי אַז דער גרענעץ צווישן אינעווייניק און אינדרויסן בלייבט ווייך. דער אַרויסגעשטרעקטער דאַך גרייכט איבער זעקס מעטער מיט אַ סטרוקטור וואָס איז נאָר 200 מילימעטער דיק. אַ צונויפגעפאלטענע, L-פֿערמיקע אויבערפלאַך פֿונקציאָנירט ווי אַ מאָנאָקאָק עלעמענט און פאַרמינערט די שטיצן וואָס מען דאַרף. שיבער-טירן דערלויבן די באַוווינער צו בייטן דעם כאַראַקטער פונעם וווין-פּלאַץ. דאָס הויז טײַטשט אויף ס'נײַ די טיפֿע דאַכשוועבן פֿון דער טראַדיציאָנעלער יאַפּאַנישער אַרכיטעקטור.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award אין זילבער

The Pitched Roof הויז איז אַ געווינער פֿון דעם A' Design Award אין זילבער, אַן אויסערגעוויינלעך פּרעסטיזשע אָנערקענונג וואָס ווערט געגעבן צו שיינע, דערהויבענע און איבערצײַגנדיקע שפּיץ-דיזײַנס. זילבער-געווינער זענען העכסט בריליאַנטע און זייער קרעאַטיווע ווערק וואָס ילוסטרירן די אויסגעצייכנטע מומחיות, טאַלאַנט און שאַרפֿזיניקייט פֿון זייערע דיזײַנערס. פֿון The Pitched Roof הויז ווערט דערוואַרט אַז עס איז אַ וווּנדערלעך, מוסטערהאַפֿט ווערק וואָס איז אויפֿפֿאַלנדיק פּראָפֿעסיאָנעל און טיף אינאָוואַטיוו. דער דאָזיקער געווינענדיקער דיזײַן פֿון A' Design Award אין זילבער איז אַ זייער אויפֿפֿאַלנדיקע, באַוווּנדערטע דערפֿינדונג וואָס ברענגט נוצן און שטופּט פֿאָרויס די גרענעצן פֿון קונסט, וויסנשאַפֿט, דיזײַן און טעכנאָלאָגיע. The Pitched Roof הויז איז אַ באַשאַפֿונג וואָס מען מקנא זײַן זי ברייט, וואָס וועקט תּאוות, ברענגט פּאָזיטיווע געפֿילן און וועקט חידוש און פֿאַרוווּנדערונג.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
This is a house located in Karuizawa, Japan with an extremely simple pitched roof. Traditional Japanese houses do not create enclosed environments but instead, form spaces that enable easy transition from the inside to the outside. By forming a blurred boundary, only forty percent of the space under the roof is enclosed within the interior. While the inside is being used primarily by the inhabitants as living spaces, it is the outside that defines it.
Dimensions & Packaging
Floor: Single floor
Ceiling Height: 2,100 mm
Roof Height: 3.446 mm
Site Area: 1,059.18 m2
Floor Area: 208.56 m2
Tags
House, Pitched Roof, Cantilevered, Japanese, Deep eaves, Boundary, Wood structure,
Production Technology
The cantilevered roof of over 6 meters, pushes the limit of the 200mm thick roof structure. By adopting a folded shape as the main structural element, it minimizes the support needed as compared to having a flat roof, which would require three times more of the support utilized. Like the Japanese papercraft, Origami, the L-shaped surface acts as a monocoque element – not resisting stiff but drooping about 5 centimeters under snow pressure like tree branches in the forest.
Design Challenge
In Traditional Japanese Houses, the space under the eaves is often associated with columns. However, these columns serve purely as structural elements to support the cantilevered edges and are not crucial in enclosing the space. Had technology been much more advanced, we would have been able to design without columns years ago. We are now able to achieve the real intricate quality of open spaces in Japanese Architecture - a feat that was not possible for carpenters 400 years ago.
Research
The pitched roof house is trying to reach a certain level of mutability by re-interpreting the traditional elements into modern context. In aiming to heighten qualities of architectural mutability, the work is tied into a long tradition of Japanese vernacular architecture known for its sliding doors, screens, and other boundary-modulating elements, such as deep eaves. These elements not only create the spatial fluidity, but also open the architecture to life-giving elements of sunlight, wind, and humidity, modestly scaled the ubiquitous digital lifestyle with a return of nature.
Inspiration
Deep eaves, as one of the most important Japanese traditional architecture elements in local monsoon climate, are almost extinct in modern houses. It is essential to comprehend the meaning of these traditional elements in the modern setting. With the latest technology, the house seek to reinterpret the deep eave in the context of a humid climate, retain and create more opportunities for these distinctive Japanese qualities to sprout forth in modern architecture.
Project Duration
The project started in July 2007 and finished in May 2009 in Karuizawa, Japan
Operation Flow
The house is designed for a well-known Japanese pop songwriter who wanted to create a place where he could disconnect from the pressures of daily life. The space enclosed enables the inhabitants to perform their basic living tasks while open space under the deep eaves allows them to connect to nature and the surroundings. The sliding doors which divide the inside from the outside can be used to realize the shift in ambiance within the living space.
Team Members
Constructor: Niitsugumi Co., Ltd.
Structure: OHNO-JAPAN
Lighting: BONBOLI Lighting Architect & Associates
Landscape: GA Yamazaki
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Katsuhisa Kida, FOTOTECA, 2009.
Image #2: Photographer Katsuhisa Kida, FOTOTECA, 2009.
Image #3: Photographer Katsuhisa Kida, FOTOTECA, 2009.
Image #4: Photographer Katsuhisa Kida, FOTOTECA, 2009.
Image #5: Photographer Katsuhisa Kida, FOTOTECA, 2009.

Sponsored

Explore Beyond Designers.org

Discover products, services and opportunities from our advertising partners.

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

The A' Design Award is an international, juried accolade for good design. Take part in the A' Design Award to get an opportunity to earn meritocratic recognition, gain fame, prestige and publicity for your work. Nominate your work for the A' Design Award and compete for the coveted A' Design Prize.

Nominate