Tezuka Architects – Roof House

The architects of this house are a married couple, Takaharu Tezuka, who is always clad in a blue jumper, and his wife Yui, who always wears a red top. They believe that design, and especially residential architecture should always be about human activities: the most important consideration is what the inhabitants like doing.

The form of this house was determined by the client, a family of four who had loved to relax on the roof of their previous house. From this simple starting point, the roof house evolved, with a slightly sloping roof which is one big terrace.

There is a skylight in the ceiling of every room, through which the rooftop can be accessed by means of stairs or a ladder. This rooftop is virtually a second apartment, with superb views, where there are tables and chairs and where the family can cook or bring food up from the kitchen. There is even a shower up there.

When all the sliding doors on the ground floor are pushed out of sight, we are left with two simple flat surfaces one above the other, connected by stairs and ladders.