Oranadajima Community House Project in Japan by Martin van der Linden.

After a devastating earthquake & tsunami hit Yamada-machi in Japan in March 2011, several major companies were urged to help offer the town a facility where children would have a place to play, heal and come together. Following extensive consultations with the Yamada-machi authorities, it was proposed in February 2012, to establish an after-school house and community centre. The Foundation is named after the island where in 1643 a Dutch ship, called the ‘Breskens’, landed in the Bay of Yamada. This island was called ‘Oranda-jima (‘Holland Island’) 350 years after the ship stranded there.

The brief asked for a flexible building of around 200sqm to accommodate approximately 60 children for their after school activities. On the weekends the building is used as a community centre. “From the onset of the project we wanted to build a building where we would use local labour. We decide on a local contractor, a so-called “daiku”, or Japanese carpenter”, explains the architect.

The building is positioned in such a way that daylight during the winter months will fall deep into the building, while during the summer months, an overhang will provide shade.

[Images courtesy of Martin van der Linden.]