Yatsugatake plateau, Nagano Prefecture, Japan; exact locality and address are not publicly disclosed.
About this story
House in Yatsugatake is a completed family retreat on a forested plateau at an elevation of approximately 1,500 metres. Designed for extended summer stays and year-round gatherings with family, friends and guests, the single-storey building is positioned near the road on the north side of its gently southeast-sloping site. Its garage and living volumes bend into an angled plan that screens road views while loosely enclosing a south-facing garden. The western portion contains the living, dining and kitchen area, a loft and a guest room; private rooms and bathrooms occupy the east, with the entrance between the two zones. Slender exposed timber rafters follow the roof slope, while low openings beneath the eaves frame a continuous horizontal view of the garden and forest. A loft skylight draws daylight farther into the interior. The bathroom and wash area are joined by a translucent partition and finished continuously in stone, with full-width timber-framed glazing facing the landscape. Existing trees were retained where possible, and an angled stone wall echoes the building geometry without substantially reshaping the forest. Dezeen reports that the house measures 225 square metres and is clad in charred cedar, although those two specifications are not stated on the official project page.
Status and timeline
Completed in 2025. Keiji Ashizawa Design added an official project page and Dezeen published the selected feature on September 11, 2026.
Design highlights
An angled, folded single-storey form balances privacy from the northern road with openness toward the southern forest. Architecture and landscape share related geometry through the bent plan and stone wall. Low, horizontal glazing frames the woodland rather than relying only on full-height expanses of glass. Exposed slender rafters articulate the timber structure, while a loft skylight introduces changing daylight. The west-east zoning supports both quiet family stays and larger gatherings. Existing trees and topography were preserved to help the building settle gradually into its setting.
