Two Roofs in the Snow

Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan, 2009—2010

Two young families, friends for many years, approached FBA with a request to design two similar, yet distinct houses in a pristine setting with several metres of snow for most of the year and a beautiful summer in between. The one point in their common brief not up for discussion was a pronounced pitched roof. FBA proposed two essentially different concepts of living with a simple roof.

For one, the roof is a large, heavy mass lifted from the ground; for the other, the roof is like a thin hat sitting on top of what appears like a massive, carved-out rock protruding from the slightly sloping site. In both cases, the massive volumes house all sleeping quarters; their respective open spaces become communal living and dining areas.

The stark contrast brought about by the seasons gives each house a character entirely different from its counterpart. The simple roof geometry, an archetypal expression of human dwelling, exposes an old-new luxury of essence: Living in and with the landscape.