How can we learn to be more sustainable? Generating power via solar feels good but if we don’t learn how to change our habits on a cloudy day we will just buy from the grid as usual. At Flying Sengokuhara we have taken a new approach focusing on making us rethink our approach to energy usage.

When enough power has been generated to last through the night everything is as usual. When the power is projected to run low Flying Sengokuhara steps up. First the lights are dimmed not only to save power but to let you know things are tight. Next low priority power outlets are switched off. Sorry, your espresso will have to wait! Finally, if there is a blackout and you really need to save power all non-essentials are turned off.

Flying Sengokuhara has complete control over the power in the house. The power outlets, solar panels and appliances. It also knows how much power is being used at each circuit breaker. With this knowledge it can guide you to be a little more conservative, point out the energy parasites and keep power usage under control even in a blackout.

In order to predict future power generation and plan accordingly, knowing when it will be sunny is essential. In the hills of Hakone the weather is notoriously unpredictable. Sengokuhara could be sunny while it is raining in Gora. That is why we installed a weather station to feed location specific data into our solar prediction model.

On the roof are the eyes of Flying Sengokuhara: a 33x optical zoom 4k video streaming camera. We use it for a relaxing view of nearby Owakudani or the leaves swaying in the wind. We also use it as a data source for real time streaming experiments, including AI generated content injection.

The bird songs and insect chirps at Flying Sengokuhara are the beautiful song of mother nature herself. In order to listen while in the concrete city of Tokyo we have placed a high quality mic that constantly streams audio. Call it Flying Sengokuhara Nature Radio. You can listen at Gallery Hallway in Jinbocho. Please feel free to use it as a data source in your own art.

Our work at Flying Sengokuhara isn’t a product. It is an experiment - our playground for exploring the possibilities of sustainable psychology, green technology and integrating nature into digital / urban landscapes. If you are interested in our technology or collaborating please get in touch!

Credits

Architecture / Supervision

Furuya Design Architect Office

Lighting Design

Spangle (Chiaki Murazumi, Eri Ninokura)

Green Guidance Power Management System

Art and Program (APRG)

Structural Design

KAP

Landscape

FUA Green Workshop

Construction

Eikokensetsu (Saito Daisaku)

Carpentry

Masukenchiku (Kato Yusuke)

Plastering

Imajosakan (Imajo Tetsuhiro)

Formwork

Aokikensetsu (Aoki Kazuyuki)

Equipment

Sosetsu (Aizawa Yuichiro)

Electric

Yuyamadensetsu (Jikuya Nobuyuki, Shima Dai, Horikawa Taisyo)

Furniture

Matsumotokaguseisakujo (Matsumoto Katsuichi, Jin Takaya)