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A House Built into the Rugged Terrain

Built within the sloped rugged terrain in Hyogo, Japan, the Krampon residence was designed by Shogo Aratani Architect & Associates to sit atop the rock bed to avoid too much excavation. The hard rocks meant designing the three volumes along the landscape, which has them situated at various heights.

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A portion of the rock was removed during construction to make way for the garage but they reused it as pavers along the entryway.

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The staircases follow the same lines as the rock formations underneath the foundation. Instead of empty walls along the stairwells, they installed bookcases to hold a large collection of books.

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The stairs intersect the three volumes uniting the spaces. The bookcases continue as you go up.

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The lower volume houses the private rooms on the first floor and a terrace above it on the roof. The terrace is accessible from the living room.

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The main, common spaces are located on the top floor to maximize the views. This volume sits right below two large trees – a camphor tree and a cherry tree.

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A skylight was built into the living room’s ceiling so the homeowners could view the trees above.

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Floor-to-ceiling windows make the room feel as if it’s floating above everyone else.

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Photos by Yutaka Kinumaki.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.