Skylights and clerestory windows bathe the Japanese Re-slope House in natural light

The broad pitched roof of this residence in Kobe shelters a staggered plywood interior bathed in natural light.

Japanese architect Tomohiro Hata designed the house as an extension of the sloping terrain and created a seemingly introverted residence that in fact features an abundance of skylights and windows that bring natural light inside. The architect wanted to restore the natural topography and named the residence "Re-slope House" to reference this attitude.

Located in a residential area in Kobe, the house occupies a sloped plot and protrudes from its lowest part with its metal roof. The architect wanted to restore the natural topography and named the residence “Re-slope House” to reference this attitude. Mimicking the way animals establish a home in a slope, the architects decided to find a way to nestle the spaces in a natural way.

“While taking the existing foundation, we designed the configuration of living space like a stage of stairs to restore the original slope,” said the architects, “and floated the roof on top, like tracing the ridge line of the original slope. Thus, the slope which had been severed is restored again.”

Although the residence looks like a windowless, metal-clad box from the street, the space capitalizes on several skylights and windows carved into the sloping roof on the rear side. Inside, plywood platforms are connected by boxy stairs and features several distinct spaces with the living area set at the lowest part of the site. This space is connected to the garden, while the bedroom and bathroom occupy a split-level above. The street-facing terrace is accessible via another flight of steps and features a clerestory window.