Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design · 2024
The Three Roof House
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Ader Co.,Ltd
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 25,671
- Verification code 3F226FD31B · Verify this award
About The Three Roof House
The Three Roof is a house in Okinawa, Japan. Traditional Okinawan houses use long eaves to reduce subtropical heat, but deep eaves also block daylight and darken the interior. The roof is divided into three parts, so daylight enters from the north side and air passes through the house more easily. The split roof gives each area a suitable ceiling height and creates variety in the space. A pillarless space of 4.0 meters is provided under the low eaves and can be used flexibly. The building is made of reinforced concrete with exposed concrete walls.
The Three Roof House by Masashi Nakamoto exemplifies a distinguished approach to contemporary residential design wherein the fundamental architectural elements of shelter and enclosure transcend their utilitarian origins to achieve expressive sculptural presence. Working within traditions of material honesty championed by masters of modernist concrete architecture, Nakamoto employs board-formed concrete as both structure and surface, allowing the imprint of wooden formwork to create a warm textural patina that softens the inherent austerity of the medium. The tripartite roof system, from which the dwelling derives its appellation, demonstrates remarkable compositional sophistication: three distinct horizontal planes appear to float above the supporting walls at varying heights and orientations, creating a dynamic interplay of shelter and sky that transforms the roof from mere protective covering into the building's defining architectural gesture. The integration of landscape elements reveals sensitivity to the dialogue between built form and natural environment, with carefully curated plantings including a specimen plumeria tree, native limestone boulders, and succulent groundcovers establishing a transitional zone that mediates between public street and private domestic realm. The triangular concrete wall element at the structure's eastern edge introduces angular dynamism into an otherwise orthogonal composition, its sharp geometry suggesting both protective enclosure and welcoming gesture depending upon the viewer's position and approach. Technical achievement is evident in the precision of concrete casting, the crisp articulation of cantilevers, and the seamless integration of glazing systems that promise interior spaces filled with modulated natural light. One might observe how the building negotiates the challenge of residential design in dense urban contexts, offering both privacy and presence, intimacy and monumentality. The viewer is invited to contemplate how architecture at this scale can embody both personal sanctuary and contribution to the broader fabric of neighborhood and community, shelter and statement existing in productive tension.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- By dividing the roof into three parts, It ensured daylight from the north side and made it easier for air to pass through. The split roof secures the ceiling height suitable for each place and brings about change in the space. It has a 4.0 meters space under the eaves in a pillarless space, but it keeps the height of the eaves low. Therefore, it is possible to protect a comfortable space with good ventilation while suppressing the strong sunlight of Okinawa.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Site area : 753.04 m2 Building area : 318.00 m2 Total floor area : 285.93 m2 Structure : Reinforced Concrete Structure Main external finishes Roof : concrete Exterior wall : exposed concrete Main internal finishes Floor : Walnut flooring Inside Wall : exposed concrete Ceiling : Western red cedar & exposed concrete
- Tags
- Architecture, Single houses, Flexible space, Roof, Japan, Okinawa,
- Production Technology
- Both X and Y directions of this building are planned with wall type reinforced concrete construction, and steel pipe posts are arranged at places requiring consideration for landscape. Because of the mixed structure, earthquake resistant walls are arranged without bias, and column heads and column legs of steel pipes are embedded to evaluate spring rigidity. As the cantilever span has a maximum of 5.0 m, the roof is uniformly planned with an extremely thick mat slab of 450 mm.
- Design Challenge
- In this area at least one third of the roof must be slope. The plan is based on a pitched roof from the traditional Okinawan house. The split roof allows natural light where not blocked by structures such as pillars and walls. It also maintains its own structure, and the roof looks like it’s floating.
- Project Duration
- Okinawa Japan. The basic design started in March 2019. Completion date is December 2021.
The site is bordered by three roads and is elongated east west. The site is characterized by apartments and commercial facilities in the north, and a spacious landscape in the south. - Operation Flow
- The purpose of this project was to make good use of the climate of Okinawa and provide comfortable living. There are many good hints in traditional architecture. Also it has construction techniques unique to the subtropical region so we have evolved them with modern construction technology to provide a more livable living space.
- Research
- Amahaji* is characterized by protection from the strong sunlight of Okinawa. It can be used for a variety of purposes, such as communicating with visitors, or sitting and looking outside. In addition, there is no wall between Amahaji and inside, and it is partitioned by fittings. In this project, the space is more than doubled compared to the traditional one.
- Inspiration
- The traditional okinawan house uses long eaves to stave off the subtropical heat. But it blocks natural light and darkens the house. In order to solve this problem, the roof was divided into three parts and the house was brightened by taking in natural light from between the roofs. There is also Amahaji which provides a flexible space under the eaves.
The space under the eaves is called “Amahaji” in Okinawa. - Image Credits
- All images photo by Mamiyasan
- Patents
- None
Colors of The Three Roof House
Get The Three Roof House
Subtropical Architecture Design Services
We specialize in architectural design that harmonizes with subtropical climates. Drawing from traditional Okinawan principles and modern construction technology, we create comfortable living spaces that naturally regulate light, air, and temperature. International A' Design Award winners.
G0E23 Shop