UID architects' japanese butterfly house is a cluster of folding rooftops

the butterfly house echoes a clustered village

with its butterfly house, japanese studio UID architects reimagines a typical housing typology of timber structure and gabled roofs. the project functions as a tea ceremony house, and takes shape as a collection of micro dwellings, each capped with a folded roof plane. by clustering and overlapping these tiny structures, the house takes the qualities of a small village with meandering alleys and a complex, fractal canopy above. along the underside of these roofs is an expressive timber structure, which defines the warm and textural atmosphere of the house — with dramatic, angled surfaces and rhythmic joists.

images by koji fujii / nacasa & partners

uid architects integration of nature

the butterfly house marks a continuation of UID architects (see more here) founder keisuke maeda’s search for a balanced relationship between humans and the natural environment. the dramatically angled roofs don’t just lend a dynamic atmosphere and ensure long, vertical windows. these sloping surfaces perform as rainwater collectors, avoiding leaks and allowing occupants to reuse collected water for domestic purposes.

gardens remove the house from its crowded context

alongside the performative architecture is a thoughtfully landscaped garden filled with trees. with designs by toshiya ogino, the garden removes the house to an extent from its crowded suburban context and suggests a more picturesque site from within. sunlight filters through the small trees to create natural patterns of shadowing onto the flooring and rock gardens. meanwhile at night, the underside of the roof planes are illuminated to become an array of surfaces glowing warmly through the darkness.

a fortress-like retaining wall further isolates UID architects’ house from the surroundings