Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - FacadeSundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Windows, FacadeSundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - WindowsSundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Facade, GlassSundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - More Images+ 14

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Facade
© Daici Ano

Text description provided by the architects. This house stands in the middle of the fields in the country.  The client does firming on the side.

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Windows, Facade
© Daici Ano

The site draws attention from the street; however it is not a place from which one can enjoy beautiful scenery in particular.  Yet the client desired to live openly in this home. Modern housing lacks the feelings of seasonal and time changes by the artificial environment.  My goal was to build a home where the client can feel the seasons’ change from winter, spring, summer and fall as a farmer.

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Facade, Windows
© Daici Ano

In order to accomplish this, I proposed this courtyard house with a two-storied unit in the middle of the site, surrounded by a one-storied unit.  I purposefully placed the two-storied unit on the south part of the site to block the sun.  As a result, the shadow of the tower moves slowly though out the day.  In addition, the shadows of objects and places to stay within the home move accordingly.  In the summer, there would be a summer shadow.  In the winter, there would be a winter shadow.  The house shows different appearances in each of the four seasons.  There would be a rhythm in the home’s atmosphere created by the shadow of the tower, intentionally constructed on the south part of the site.  

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Windows, Facade
© Daici Ano

Also, the client can feel the sense of privacy at the same time as the indication of the each room by placing a small courtyard in the one-storied unit to maintain the distances in the house.

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Facade, Windows
© Daici Ano

In conclusion, this house is like a sundial where one can feel the change of the seasons along with the surrounding fields.

Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates - Image 16 of 19
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Cite: "Sundial House / Hironaka Ogawa & Associates" 04 Mar 2013. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/338128/sundial-house-hironaka-ogawa-associates> ISSN 0719-8884

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