Kyoto's Sugi House Hides Below and Opens Up Above
There is a house in eastern Kyoto that stays closed at street level and opens to the sky above.
Sugi House sits on a narrow plot in Kyoto, Japan. It was designed by Kyoto-based Ujizono Architects, the practice led by co-founders Kazuki Ujigawa and Mirai Ozono, according to Dezeen. Dezeen reported the project on 9 October 2026.
The architects said they wanted to subtly rearrange the form of the typical homes found in east Kyoto. The plan contrasts an enclosed ground floor with an expansive first floor. One is private. One lets in light and air.
From the street, the change is easy to read. The upper level is clad in cedar, a softwood often used for external screens and linings in Japan. That cedar-clad volume projects outward above the driveway and shelters the entrance below.
Inside, the ground floor stays compact and shut off. A single hallway connects three bedrooms and a bathroom. There is no open-plan living at this level.
A staircase at the rear of the house leads up to where the household gathers. The first floor holds a combined living, kitchen and dining space. It sits under a broad gabled ceiling, a ceiling that follows the pitched shape of the roof, and is lit by clerestory windows, high-level windows set close to the roof peak.
What makes this stand out is the swap. Bedrooms usually sit upstairs. Here daily life moves up into the light, while sleeping stays down in the quiet.
