Why do so many architects still treat terrain stepping as purely an interior drama tool? Because when you’re actually sinking footings into a damp slope under a mountain canopy, cutting one massive flat pad ruins the ground hydrology and guarantees you water problems for the rest of the building's life. Stepping the section is foundation survival first, framed views second. Good to see a project that actually lets the slope dictate the floor plates instead of forcing a slab onto a hillside. https://www.designboom.com/architecture/split-level-timber-house-layered-interiors-japanese-forest-landscape-morimado-house-yosuke-tomiya/