The Ideal Orientation for your Home, and why it is Important
Have you ever considered why your living room is so hot in summer when it faces south? And why your balcony doesn’t get any sun during the colder months?
Understanding your home orientation is key to organize your living spaces.
With this guide, you’ll be able to understand the pros and cons of each orientation and foresee how much natural light you will get.
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR HOME ORIENTATION?
How your home is oriented will greatly affect the amount of natural light you get, but it will also impinge on the internal air currents. Therefore it will impact the internal temperature your house will reach, but also the electricity consumption (hello bills💸)
We’ve discussed on this blog the basics that guide a sustainable home, also known as a Passive House, and orientation might be one of the key points to get it right, but also the cheapest to tackle.
I imagine there´s no need for me to explain how natural light makes us happier, so it´s always one of the first things to consider when starting a reno, choosing an apartment or redistributing a space.
Nothing in life is clearly black or white, as there is a very extensive gradient of greys for each situation, person, family, or home. The choices you make will have to depend on your lifestyle, so I’ve prepared a guide to explain how each orientation might be beneficial for you.
Let's see which orientation suits your needs! 🙃
*Super important to highlight that these indications are only applicable if your space is in the northern hemisphere.
NortH
It is also known as the horror of orientations. Nobody wants it since sun rays rarely hit it. You have to settle for some sun during dawn and at dusk in summer.
The north offers low but stable lighting for most of the day. The walls should be properly insulated and have small openings since it is the part that will generally receive colder winds.
These are the coolest areas of the house, so they will be super nice in summer.
SOUTH
It is the holy grail of orientations, the sun shines all day long in spring, autumn and winter. If you have ever searched or are looking for a house and it faces south, they will make sure it is properly mentioned.
The rooms where you spend more time should be located in it since it has really good light throughout the day and "passive heating" in winter.
Nonetheless, it can get too hot in certain climates and some kind of awning or blind will have to be considered.
If you have a garden, you want it to be facing south so that your plants are happy and light enters your home through the garden doors.
WEST
Sunlight gets there in the evenings. It is very bright at noon and therefore might overheat the space in summer. During winter, it can be really comforting.
It’s best not to place the work or study rooms there, as it gets very hot in summer; especially try avoiding the kitchen as it will be quite annoying when preparing those summer food fests.
And what if your home is not entirely facing one of the four cardinal points?
Well as Hannah Montana rightly said, “you get the best of both worlds”.
NORTHWEST
In the warmer months, you’ll get sunlight until noon, and nothing during winter.
SOUTHWEST
In summer you’ll have plenty of sun until midday, and the whole day in winter.
NORTHEAST
In summer you will get evening sun, and nothing during winter.
SOUTHEAST
You’ll have evening sun, and the whole day in winter.
