Ever wondered why your house is unusually cold in winter or hot in summer? The answer could boil down to orientation.
House orientation is when the building is designed to harness the natural elements including seasonal variations.
This style of passive design rarely makes it on to the home buyers checklist and is something that is easy to forget when inspecting a property.
But, if done correctly it not only makes your house more enticing, it will drastically reduce your reliance on heating and cooling systems playing a critical role in cutting your energy bill.
So, how can a home buyer assess whether a property has the right orientation?
Here are some handy tips to get you started.
House versus apartment
Maximising light in any property is at the top of the list, however your ability to harness sunlight differs significantly depending on the type of property you have.
For houses, in general an orientation capturing sunlight from the north is the most desirable because it will deliver radiant heat into the house.
Essentially this will act as passive solar heating in winter, but in summer it is easy to shade the northern facades of the house to stop the heat from penetrating.
Design MD+A director Brent Marvin says a house’s orientation, especially when it comes to the sun, has a big impact on power use.
“What many people don’t realise is that most houses were built with poor orientation and use far too much energy,” he says.
“Think of a well orientated house as a yacht; designed to make use of what nature gives us, whereas poor design is like a super tanker.”
However, in apartments it is not as important.
Unless you are purchasing off the plan and can choose where your unit is located in the building and where to put the windows, there is little that you can do when it comes to natural light.
The bonus is light does not play a critical role in energy consumption or liveability when in an apartment block.
So, when it comes to orientation in a highrise the best view is the most important factor.
Light aspect: Tips to get lighting right
Geography
The best orientation for your house will depend on location.
If you’re looking in a southerly market like Hobart or Melbourne, then finding a house which maximises northern sunlight should be high on your list.
However, if you are in the north of the country, reducing radiant heat is your goal.
This can be achieved shading the north facing parts of your house with trees, louvres and external blinds.
In markets like Sydney and Perth, achieving a balance between these two provides the best outcome year round.
North side
A well-oriented house uses its northern side to capture as much daylight as possible during the cooler months.
The key here is to understand the sun changes position in different seasons.
Ideally it will shine through at an angle of 67 degrees in summer, but only 32 degrees in winter.
If you set your windows on the north side high and incorporate overhang shading at a 1:2 ratio, this will give you privacy, warmth in winter and shading in summer.
It may sound fussy and technical but getting the balance right at the beginning means the temperature in your house will vary less between seasons.
The north side is also perfect for stairwells with lots of glass to capture sunlight so your house absorbs as much radiant heat as possible.
Don’t focus solely on one direction
Many people will tell you that a north-facing yard is best, but it’s important to look at your property from all angles.
According to Marvin it is best to look at your location and ensure the features of the house capture the natural benefits from all directions.
“In most cities, the ideal is to have your yard facing west as this is where most of your outdoor time at home is spent and that should be in the afternoon sun,” he says
“That means the front of the house faces the street to the east, capturing the morning sun.
“Engaging with the street can be a positive, which a lot of buyers underestimate and you can do this by incorporating a small porch or alcove.”
Indoor-outdoor: Tips for designing a relaxing outdoor living space
Capturing the warmth
Sunlight can be maximised if it falls on to hard surfaces, particularly the house’s slab as well as interior polished concrete or tiled floors.
This helps transmit thermal heat into the house during cooler evening hours, but remember to shade these areas in the warmer months.
Expert tips: 5 things an architect looks for when buying a home
The view
We have all heard the phrase ‘million-dollar view’.
If your house has an elevated position or a view to die for, make the most of it and orient your property’s design to capture as much of it as possible.
Whether this means adding a window, a deck or knocking out a wall and putting in glass doors that open up the house in the right direction, this could add thousands to the value of your property.
Unfortunately, older houses often do not harness the view and can have windows with cross bars that intrude.
These should be replaced with modern larger windows.
This article was originally published on 27 Dec 2018 at 10:27am but has been regularly updated to keep the information current.