 Building should be positioned to maximize desirable features and minimize negative aspects ◦ Energy Orientation ◦ Solar Orientation ◦ Room/Outdoor Area Locations ◦ Overhang and Baffle Protection ◦ Land/Shelter ◦ Wind Control

 Local resources and climate have an affect on energy use – heating, cooling, and lighting ◦ Native Americans building houses under the overhang of cliffs  Provided shade from the summer sun and protection from winter wind

 Fossil fuels are finite so energy efficient principles need to be used ◦ Combustion of natural materials such as reclaimed wasted, wood or other organic materials ◦ Require special equipment to heat/cool the home

 Active solar designs – Use of mechanical/electrical tools or devices to control the sun’s energy  Passive solar designs – Use of the sun’s power without mechanical/electrical tools or devices. Use design features and orientation of a building to gain control of the sun’s energy

 Sunlight angle changes from summer to winter as the earth revolves around the sun ◦ Northern Hemisphere: South and West sides of a structure are warmer than the North and East sides, South being the warmest  Building should absorb southern heat in the winter and repel in the summer, also plan to provide natural sunlight

 Open floor plans and tall ceilings create cooler temperatures and increased ventilation  Closed floor plans and low ceilings typically increase temperatures

 The function of the room as well as the season/time of day the room will be used should be considered when the layout is determined  Typically the dining room and kitchen should get sunlight early in the morning and then the living room should have light by afternoon

 Kitchen and dining room on the south or east side of the house  Living room areas are placed on the south or west, receive late day rays of the sun  Sleeping area tends to be located on the North side of the building, provides greatest darkness in morning/evening and is also the coolest side

 Thought out to allow the max amount of sunlight and heat to enter the inside of a building during winter, opposite for summer  Edge of the overhang should be related to the height of the window

 Should be accomplished without blocking natural light

 Not all light can be blocked ◦ Direct and indirect radiation through windows