AMIDST SNOW HOUSE is a detached, single-story house is located in Akita Prefecture, way up in the snowy north of Japans’ main island. This area is well known for having some of heaviest snowfall in the world, accumulating to 2.5 meters over an entire winter.
These wintery conditions formed the main design challenge for this house. The roof and structure had to be able to accommodate the weight of all this snow and simultaneously create a light, open living space connected to the garden. The flat roof shape is designed to maintain a complete snow cover, and is also expected to retain heat and insulation from the snow.
Inside box shaped volumes hold private rooms and service functions whilst also forming the structure that supports the roof.The living room, corridors and sunrooms together form an open, interconnected space between these closed of volumes.
