Building orientation is the practice of facing a building so as
to maximize certain aspects of its surroundings, such as street
appeal, to capture a scenic view, for drainage considerations,
etc. With rising energy costs, it’s becoming increasingly
important for building orientation to capitalize on the Sun’s
free energy. For developers and builders, building orientation
of a new home to take advantage of the warmth of the Sun will
increase the home’s appeal and marketability. For homeowners,
building orientation will increase their indoor comfort and
reduce their energy bills. Thus, building orientation, along
with day-lighting and thermal mass, are crucial considerations
of passive solar construction that can be incorporated into
virtually any new home design. Facts and Figures about Building
Orientation - Many older homes’ designs were oriented through
the use of a heliodon, which is a moveable light source used to
mimic the Sun’s path that hovered over a small-scale model of a
proposed building. Today, ma