Jun Igarashi Architects found a work-around in Japanese building code to create this house on Hokkaido's southwest coast, which features a larger than average roof to protect a pair of patios from snowfall.
The location and climate heavily affected the architect’s decision in creating specific spaces that were necessary for the comfort of the residents. One in particular, dubbed the “windbreak room”, was designed for the sole purpose of providing a relaxed and warm environment during the harsh winters.
"Snowfall gives various restrictions to our life, the most serious of them is cleaning snow. Houses are often built mainly in residential areas. That means that the building coverage ratio is low. Therefore, the size of the roof becomes smaller." — explained Hokkaido-based architect Jun Igarashi
The architects set up a large roof with a full building coverage ratio, and placed a compact one-room dwelling beneath it. Between the interior space and the outdoor space there is a rectangle under the large roof. Although this space is treated as an indoor area in building code, physically, it can be said that the space is both outdoor and indoor, semi-indoor, and semi-outdoor.
