On a site sloping down to a valley on Mt. Happu in Karuizawa, we planned a villa for four families, aiming to create a place where they can enjoy the rich nature surrounded by a forest with a view of a stream. The architecture was designed to float lightly above the ground on an independent foundation to correspond to the terrain, and to be a group of small volumes with a roof that slopes down to create a quiet appearance with minimal impact on the site.

The plan is a square divided into nine sections, with common areas on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor. The first floor, enclosed by glass, is an open space with a panoramic view, and the four private rooms on the second floor, which require privacy, are laid out in a crisscross pattern, with high ceilings at the four corners of the crisscross space, creating a sense of unity on the first floor.

Corresponding to the nine sections of the plan, nine small roofs with different slopes and orientations overlap each other so that they become higher toward the center. The roofs at each of the four corners protrude from the exterior wall in the shape of 卍, covering the four terraces that are connected to the entrance, kitchen, living room, and master bedroom on the first floor, extending the living space to the exterior. The living space extends to the outside.

Despite its simple spatial composition, a three-dimensional and deep space is built under the nine-layered roof, creating an inclusive place where people can enjoy a variety of distances from nature. As a base for families of different generations to gather, we hope that a variety of activities in harmony with nature will develop.