The floors of this house by Tokyo studio HUG are connected by the steps of a courtyard that climbs over a roof (+ slideshow).

Starting just above ground level, the staggered terrace steps up on top of a metal-clad garage to connect the double-height living room of the residence with a first floor bedroom.

Parapet walls surround the courtyard on two sides to screen it from the street that runs along the front of the house.

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Photography is by Satoshi Asakawa.

The text below is from HUG:

Terrace Step House

The site is surrounded by fields and located within the comfortableness of light and wind.

Therefore, the main idea was to focus on the exterior space, and create a house holding an atmosphere of “outside” more than “inside”.

Main feature of the house is the large 50 sq m terrace steps.

The terrace steps connect the first and the second floor, and links to the living room, bedroom flatly.

The inner spaces unite with the terrace, and blends in with the outer space.

Second floor section of the terrace steps is located on top of the parking lot of the front road.

This location able to cut views from the road, but let in the light and wind into the linked living room, and create a flow throughout the outer space.

The pathway of the inner and outer spaces unite by looping dimensionally, and connecting the skip-floors organically.

The terrace steps are an extension of the interior, a large pathway, a stage, an open square, and a main feature of the house.

This house holding the vagueness of both inner and the outer space is filled with light, wind, and the comfortable life of “outside”.