The Sundial House gets its name from its orientation and design: the home faces the south and blocks the sun, creating a shadow that moves slowly throughout the day and changes with each season. Designed by Hironaka Ogawa and Associates, this Japanese home reflects the lifestyle of a farmer. The shadows cast by the home and the home's connection to the surrounding fields reflect the changes of the seasons. The home feels different in winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The Sundial House feels different in every season due to the way the structure interacts with the sun and landscape. In this way the seasons become part of the design of the home. This is a lovely approach to minimalist design: the home draws its characteristics from the natural environment, which is not built, rather than the built environment. What a great concept!