A low timber house shaped by snow and mountain views

This one-storey house in Yakami is a quiet piece of rural architecture, designed by Enter-Archi as three linked volumes with courtyards in between. The plan is simple: parking at the front, an open living, kitchen and dining room in the middle, and three bedrooms at the back. What gives it its character is the roof, which changes pitch as it runs across the house.

That broken profile does two jobs at once. The shallower upper angle keeps the overall height down so views from inside can stretch towards the sky and surrounding mountains, while the steeper lower pitch nods to the tiled roofs nearby and helps stop snow building up in winter. Inside, the central living space has an open layout and carefully judged ceiling height, intended to feel generous without losing a sense of scale.

The house is built with a traditional Japanese timber post-and-beam structure, with its columns, beams and rafters left visible. Cedar clads the exterior, while plywood lines the interior and metal covers the roof. Enter-Archi’s founder Yoshikatsu Iriguchi told Dezeen he wanted the house not just to look at the landscape, but to feel part of it. It is a private home rather than somewhere to visit, but it is worth reading for the way a few plain materials and one smart roofline respond so directly to place.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 2 October 2026. Read the original

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