The direction a house faces plays a prominent role in how much the sunlight and wind will enter inside. A strategic building design will keep the house warm in winter and cool in summer. And the best part is you don’t have to depend entirely on artificial lighting, heating and cooling, which means there’ll be a decline in utility bills.
House orientation
House orientation refers to the placement of your house with regard to the path of the sun and wind in your region. The orientation should allow maximum natural light and air regardless of the seasonal changes.
As the sun path changes, ideal house orientation can also change from region to region. For example, in Australia, as the sun travels to the north, a house should ideally face to the north to get the maximum sunlight in winters and less in summers.
You should be able to identify the best orientation when buying or building a house. Here you can also take the help of building designers and ask them which direction should the house be constructed.
However, if you’re still apprehensive about the orientation and why it’s necessary, the following points should clear any doubt you have.
Why house orientation is important
- Best use of natural light
A house getting maximum natural light looks lively, feels warm and smells fresh, making living in that home comfortable.
For this to happen, your house must be positioned to a side where sunlight is more. So, knowing house orientation will tell you beforehand the placement of the main door, windows, backyard, deck, patio, etc., where sunlight enters your home.
Moreover, during summers, to decrease sunlight and to make the house cool, you can plant trees, buy shades for windows, etc.
- Optimal use of geography on your block
Orientation tells you how the house must be constructed respectively to the geography on your block. A house built like that optimally uses every space on your site. For example, a North-facing house will receive radiant heat whereas a southern property must have windows on the Northside to receive more heat.
- Natural ventilation
Having natural air circulating your house is one of the best things that can happen with house orientation. You don’t need to rely on fans or air conditioners to give you the breezy feeling on a good sunny day. When windows and doors are built in the right direction where they can allow light and air in every season; you can enjoy and relax staying at your home.
- Privacy
What about privacy when all the doors and windows are kept open to allow natural light? Well, privacy can be achieved by having the right shades on your windows and doors. Whenever you want open-air, you just have to open them and the light will pass itself through. This functionality is possible only when you know about house orientation.
- Minimise street noise
Even if your house is in a busy street, you can minimise the noise by blocking the sounds with strategically constructed walls. For this, you have to know about house orientation. Professionals suggest at what angles the walls must be constructed to avoid the noise while still maintaining natural light in your room.
- The view
Imagine your house has a spectacular view that you can enjoy watching throughout the day. So the position of your house must harness the view as much as possible through windows and doors. You can ask a modern home builder for this kind of design.
Also, if you’re thinking of having a modern house, you can replace an entire wall with glass windows where you get the maximum light and air. It not only makes your home beatific but also adds immense value to the property.
So, these are the many benefits you get when you use the house orientation concept during construction. Research says that no matter where your site is, it’s feasible to build a house according to the orientation. All you need to do is find the builders who think the same.
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