The word ‘building orientation’ is basically the positioning of a building with respect to the sun, usually done to maximize solar gain at the appropriate time of the year when required in a cold climate and to minimize solar gain in a hot climate.

1. COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
WOLKITE UNIVERSITY
ARCHITECTURAL SCIENCE III
BUILDING ORIENTATION ON BUILDING IN
GAINING DAYLIGHT EFFECTIVELY
NAME
1. ABEYOU BELETE
2. ABDU AMANO
3. ABIYU YESHAMBEL
4. BIRUK TIGISTU
5. EDRIS MOHAMOOD
6. EZUDIN MOHAMOOD
7. ERMIYAS TSEGAYE
8. GETENET DEMELASH
9. TEWELDE TSEGAYE
10. .

2. What is building orientation?
• The word ‘building orientation’ is
basically the positioning of a
building with respect to the sun,
usually done to maximize solar
gain at the appropriate time of
the year when required in a cold
climate and to minimize solar
gain in a hot climate.

3. How can I maximize the daylighting
of my building design?
To maximize the daylighting of a
building design, the building must
be incorrect alignment with the
sun. Sunshine entering the rooms
in the autumn and winter, and in
the morning is preferable.
Sunshine at midday and in the
afternoon in the summer is not
preferable.

4. Sun path
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Near Equator

5. Sun path
• The fact is that the sun is lower in
the sky in winter than in summer
allows us to plan and construct
buildings that capture that free
heat in winter and reject the heat
in summer. The building
orientation of the whole building
plays an important part in
designing a good home.

6. Importance of Building Orientation in
Architecture
• The word ‘building orientation’ is
basically the positioning of a building
with respect to the sun, usually done
to maximize solar gain at the
appropriate time of the year when
required in cold climate and to
minimize solar gain in a hot climate.
• Best house orientation can increase
the energy efficiency of your home by
making it more comfortable to live in
and cheaper to run from energy
consumption point of view.

7. Aim of Building Orientation
• The chief aim of the best house
orientation is to provide
physically and psychologically
comfortable living inside the
building to give good health &
happiness to the user in a secure
way.

8. Building Orientation
• East and west receive maximum
solar radiation during summer.
West is a crucial orientation
because high intensity of solar
radiation is received during
evening hours, when the internal
gains are also at its peak.
• Therefore, Deep verandahs or
sunshades in the south and west
facades would effectively exclude
these strong evening rays.

9. Building Orientation
• The most frequently used rooms
during the day are oriented in
the East and the North whereas
the rooms that are used mostly
at night are restricted to the
South and the West, which are
hotter directions.

10. Building Orientation
• Plan your house windows &
doors in the East to allow the
Sun’s UV rays to penetrate into
the house in the mornings.

11. Building Orientation
• The orientation of kitchen should
be towards the east to allow the
UV rays to destroy the germs that
tend to multiply in the presence
of moisture & food.

12. Building Orientation
• While deciding the building
orientation, one must also take
into consideration the location of
landscape features in a plot, i.e.
trees, planters, etc. which will
affect the building depending on
sun direction and sun path.

13. Building Orientation
• Trees and tall shrubs should be
planted towards south and west
of the site to protect the inmates
from the afternoon heat and to
provide them with oxygen.The
open water bodies in gardens
should be kept in the north-east
to enable the morning UV rays of
the sunlight to destroy germs &
bacteria before using it.

14. Exposures in different side

15. 1.Southern exposures
• Southern light provides warm,
ambient light throughout the
day and generally feels sunny
and comfortable.
• On buildings, you will typically
see sunshades on the south
facades to keep the sun out
during the summer while
allowing it in during the winter
when sun angles are lower.

16. …Southern exposures
• Best spaces: All living
spaces, especially those used
frequently.
• Worst spaces: Spaces used
infrequently or requiring
darkness, such as bedrooms
used only for sleeping,
bathrooms, storage, and TV
rooms.

17. 2. Northern exposures
• Northern light is indirect,
meaning that it is always in
shadow and can cause
spaces to feel dark and cold.
• North-facing windows receive
the least amount of light of
any orientation
• exterior shading is not
required and glare is not a
concern

18. …Northern exposures
• Best spaces: Infrequently
used rooms like storage,
bathrooms, laundry rooms.
Activities that require ambient
light but cannot handle glare,
such as office spaces and
rooms with computer or TV
screens, may benefit from
northern exposure.
• Worst spaces: Frequently
used rooms and sunrooms.

19. 3. Eastern exposures
• Eastern light is direct in the
mornings, making it ideal for
sleeping spaces and breakfast
nooks where people spend
time early in the day
• Morning sunlight can have a
positive effect on mood,
reducing depression and
anxiety.
• Eastern light is warm in the
morning and cools in the
evening

20. …Eastern exposures
• Best spaces: Bedrooms,
breakfast nooks, spaces used
in the morning.
• Worst spaces: Spaces that
cannot tolerate variable light.

21. 4. Western exposures
• Western light is direct in the
evenings often causing glare
and heat gain issues in the
hours before sunset as the
lowered sun angle renders
many shading strategies
inefficient or ineffective.
• Western light is cool in the
mornings and warm in the
evenings

22. …Western exposures
• Vertical sunshades on the
exterior are more beneficial
on western facades than
horizontal shades for this
reason, as spaces may
overheat in the evenings.
• Because western light is
variable, it is difficult to control
for tasks that require more
even lighting (such as work
and reading spaces).

23. …Western exposures
• Best spaces: Rooms used
primarily in the afternoons,
such as living rooms.
• Worst spaces: Spaces that
cannot tolerate variable light.
Kitchens used in the evenings
may have overheating and
glare issues with west-facing
light. Bedrooms since it is
darker in the morning.