Two houses connected by an atrium: Sundial House

Sundial House has been designed by Eugene Stoltzfus Architect as a beautiful country home situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia that has been developed from the urban concept of two houses unified by the street between them. The integration of the site positioning, the floor plans, the 3 dimensional form, the massing of masonry and the orientation toward the view and the sun, give this passive solar house its distinctive character.

The South House, comprised of 3,660 square feet of living space includes the kitchen, dining room, and living room. It is open to the street, with no interior walls. The North House, comprised of 2,340 square feet with a full basement, including garage, is divided into private rooms: bedrooms, office, laundry, and bathrooms.

The street acts as an Atrium and contains circulation in 3 dimensions: across between the two houses, lengthwise from entrance to back door, and vertically by stair from the basement to the ground floor and on up to the second floor. The Atrium roof holds the skylight with the center rod whose shadow allows the inhabitants of this house to tell time on the walls and floors of this perfectly oriented house.

Photos: Courtesy of Eugene Stoltzfus Architect