Serene Japanese House Features Oversized Roof and Dormer Window

By Anonymous - July 05, 2016

This spacious, asymmetric building in Gifu Prefecture (located in central Japan) was designed by Hiroki Tominaga Atelier as a retirement home for an elderly couple. While the oversized, overhanging roof and exaggerated dormer window are its most striking features, they were intended to blend in with the traditional roofline of the neighborhood.

The large eaves of the roof facing the street doubles as a cover for parking and as shelter from the elements. Moving toward the back of the house, the roof tapers off significantly, almost to a point. Inside, the bright and airy space is illuminated in part by the dormer window, wall cutouts, and a translucent honeycomb-patterned floor on the mezzanine level (which doubles as a loft room) that lets light filter into the tatami room below it.

The white interior also features timber wall accents and beams, a double-height living area, sliding glass doors that open up onto a traditional Japanese garden, and hardwood floors. Behind the house is a warehouse that came with the property. Take a look around the serene space.