Edge to Stillness by SAAD – sudo associates, architecture and design

This holiday home, for a busy professional in Niseko, faces a stream leading to the Shiribetsu River, with a forest hill beyond. The one-storey building’s curved form mimics the stream’s fluid lines, with the shorter side facing the stream, traced by an engawa. This veranda, with full-height, operable sliding windows, connects internal and external spaces.

The house’s section is less homogeneous; the rooms are tucked lower than the engawa, for a grounded perspective, the raised engawa prevents snow from flowing into the space. A large, cantilevered roof over the engawa provides shelter and comfort, enabling all season usage. Finally, locally sourced, natural materials bring both tranquility and connection to the site.