steel pilotis elevate villa by ashida architect & associates above japanese changing landscape

Ashida Architect & Associates’ retreat is in sync with the seasons

Tucked away in the Kurokura region mountains of Japan, Villa Zokusu Mori is a retreat that exists in harmony with the changing seasons by Ashida Architect & Associates. Conceived as an independent rental villa, separate from the main hotel, the black wooden structure rises above the landscape on steel pilotis to accommodate the formidable snowfall in the region, often reaching four meters in winter. In warmer months, the open space beneath the villa invites guests to linger outdoors. As winter sets in, snow fences enclose the lower level, transforming it into a sheltered retreat with its elevated form gradually disappearing beneath the snow.

Zokusu Mori Villa balances on steel-frame structure in japan

Through designing Zokusu Mori Villa, the Tokyo-based team of Ashida Architect & Associates studies seasonal transformation. The villa surrenders to the elements with its winter silhouette shifting as snow accumulates, giving it the quality of a single-story refuge floating in a sea of white. A dedicated entrance, hidden beneath the snow, allows guests to step directly from the villa into the snowscape.

Unlike conventional snow-country structures, which rely on heavy concrete bases to bear the weight of winter, Zokusu Mori Villa employs a steel-frame rigid structure, maintaining both strength and lightness. Nodding to local craftsmanship, thick cedar snow fences wrap around the pilotis to ensure that the lower level remains functional and inviting, even as the snow deepens.

Zokusu Mori Villa’s interiors combine white finishes with light-colored wood under a gable roof. ‘The idea was to provide the luxury of spending a warm moment in a pure white world,’ share the architects. ‘The experience of becoming one with the pure white world is something that can only be found in snowy regions’

project info:

name: Kamosu Mori Villa

architect: Ashida Architect & Associates | @ashdaarchitects

location: 1879-4 Kurokura, Matsunoyama, Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

site area: 932.06 square meters

building area: 49.03 square meters

total floor area: 62.94 square meters

lead architects: Masato Ashida, Jun Zhang

structure: Noriaki Yamada Structural Design Office

structural engineers: Noriaki Yamada, Ryo Takehara

construction: Takahashigumi, Onojima Construction

construction leads: Masanori Sato, Shinsuke Onojima

photographer: Yasuhiro Nakayama