Optimal Location: House Orientation and Room Layout According to the Sun's Path

Are you ready to build your dream home? Have you thought about how you want to deal with light and shadow in your house and on your property? This is an aspect that you should definitely not neglect. Even if the structural conditions can limit planning, compromises can possibly be made.

Floor plan: Include the sun’s path in the planning

The orientation of a new building is often neglected during planning. Later, when the building is up and the rooms, terrace and balcony are ready for occupancy, the big awakening often comes: the balcony is big enough for a hearty breakfast, but faces east or north and, except in very hot weather, is simply too cold to make yourself comfortable there in the morning. In these cases, builders often reserve their balcony for the clothes rack. Or: the terrace is flooded with sun, but is simply too hot in summer, there is no shade or only shade in the house. But even in your own four walls, the heat can become unbearable if you don't think about the sun's path.

As you know, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. How high the sun is in the south, and therefore how much sunlight you get, also depends on the time of year. The longest day is June 21st (summer solstice, the days are getting shorter), and the shortest is December 21st (winter solstice, the days are getting longer). If you take the seasonal position of the sun into account in your planning, you can plan the floor plan of your house better. Nobody probably wants to sit in a dark living room facing north. In addition, you can also save energy with an optimal geographical orientation of the house.

North-south orientation also makes sense in terms of energy

In the past, houses were mostly built facing east-west. This is because this is how most of the sun's rays penetrate the house over the course of the year. Although an east-west orientation captures the most daylight, this principle also has a disadvantage: in winter, when the sun rises much later and in a different place than in summer and sinks back below the horizon relatively quickly, the building cools down quickly. As a result, it needs to be heated much more. This is different with a north-south orientation; here the sunlight can also be captured in winter and used to heat the rooms, provided the floor plan of the house is cleverly planned. So make sure that the adjoining rooms such as the hallway, bathroom, utility room, staircase or storage room face north, while the rooms you spend time in (living room, dining room) face south.

Plan sun protection

The bedroom, on the other hand, should be facing east; this way you can be sure that the first rays of sun will wake you up. If the bedroom was facing west, the evening sun would heat the room up even more in summer. The west side in particular is exposed to more light than the south side in the warmer seasons. In spring and late summer/early autumn, the sun's rays penetrate your rooms due to the changed angle of inclination. This not only ensures brightness but can also help to delay the heating period a little. If you want to face your bedroom to the west or if this is the only option, you should ensure that you have adequate sun protection after moving in.

These can be curtains, These can be roller blinds or pleated blinds. They are also available with sun-reflecting coatings on the outside. This way, your rooms will stay cool and comfortable even on hot days.

The bathroom is not only well placed to the north; it is also well placed to the east, as is the kitchen. Ultimately, however, it is your personal preferences that decide, for example, the possibility of being able to watch the sunset from the living room.

Generous glass fronts

If you are worried that this layout will cause overheating in the house in summer and you will no longer be able to stand it in the living room: The risk is relatively low, because the steep angle of the high sun means that the rays reach the front window areas rather than completely penetrating the rooms. In addition, a roof overhang shields the rays. In winter, the low sun can flood floor-to-ceiling windows and large glass fronts, which has a positive effect on your well-being during the dark season.

A gallery can bring more light into the house: This is an open area on the upper floor. In a light-flooded gallery above the living room, for example, there is space for a piano, a reading corner or a library. An open area in the stairwell also provides more brightness.