It’s easy to overlook or dismiss when inspecting a property, but house orientation is extremely important when it comes to making your home more enticing. The concept is concerned with the design of a property and its ability to take advantage of the natural elements and adapt to seasonal variations. Whether you’re looking to increase the value of your property, or simply seeking to reduce your energy consumption – and, by extension, the bill! – house orientation plays a big role in the comfort of your home. With this in mind, here are our top 5 tips on understanding house orientation…
Image: Contemporist
Seek Light From Every Direction
The type of property you have affects the extent to which your home is able to harness sunlight. As a general rule, an orientation catching light from the North is most ideal since it delivers a greater degree of heat into the house. During the winter months, this becomes even more important by serving as a passive form of solar heating. As the warmer months approach, however, you can easily shield the North side of your home to prevent overheating. It’s important to consider your property from every angle and ensure that the features of your home capture the natural elements from all directions. Design experts suggest properties with ideal house orientation often position the backyard towards the west in an effort to best capitalise on the afternoon sun. This means that the morning light will hit the front of your home, creating the perfect environment for a casual sunrise breakfast on your porch or alcove.
Keep In Mind…
While maximising natural light is key with any property, it all comes down to land selection. Larger blocks make adjustments to the house orientation easier. However, it can be difficult on a smaller block. But, fear not! With careful consideration and a bit of creativity, a small block can still take advantage of the North facing sun. Take a note of the neighbouring building heights and setbacks. It is also a good idea that you visit your land at different times of the day to get a good idea of which areas the sun hits and areas of shadow. When it comes to an apartment, you might not always have your pick of the rooms. Given light doesn’t play a significant role in energy consumption or livability in an apartment block, orientation isn’t as much of an issue here.
Geography
Location is the biggest indicator of a house’s orientation. In areas with little light or inconsistent weather, a house which maximises northern sunlight should be the priority. Alternatively, if you’re seeking to purchase in a warmer climate, your primary goal will be reducing radiant heat. Shading the North side of your home, whether it be with trees, louvres or external blinds is the easiest way to achieve this.
Image: Real Homes
Capturing warmth
Maximise sunlight and transmit thermal heat by ensuring that light falls on hard surfaces, from the house’s slab to the interior tiled floors. Floor to ceiling glass windows on the northerly side of your home are a great way to capture the optimum amount of heat and reduce your reliance on heating in the cooler months.
The view
If you’re one of the lucky few to own a home that boasts a stunning view, make the most of it, and orient your house’s design to capture as much of it as possible! Whether you implement a window, a balcony/deck, or remove a wall and integrate glass doors, the right renovations can easily add thousands to the value of your property.
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