Set in tokyo's dense urban fabric, apollo architects and associates' 'tepe' house, named after the turkish word for hill, frames views of the skyline and the borrowed landscape of the neighbors garden. projecting forward with a semi-enclosed balcony, the cantilevered first floor living space has privacy from the street.
At the ground level one accesses the garage and a long narrow staircase that leads to the front door. an open plan and windows to the upper courtyard, which separates the bedrooms above, connect the house visually. the unified space is awash with light from the skylight over the hill-top entrance.
A few stairs theatrically lead from the living room down to the kitchen and dining area, while a long floating staircase ascend to the bedrooms. below the steel-framed protrusion of the house, the in-ground structure becomes a storage area. such ingenuities are possible throughout the house because of the play of levels inherent in the design.