Scribd
Upload
44 views20 pages

2 Orientation

Building orientation is an important factor that affects thermal comfort and ventilation. It refers to how a building is situated on its site in relation to the sun's path and prevailing winds. Proper orientation admits winter sun and rejects unwanted summer sun. Key considerations for orientation include exposure to sun, wind, and nearby structures that provide shade. Buildings should generally be placed on an east-west axis with the long side facing south to maximize daylighting. Landscaping and external shading devices also impact microclimate and solar gains.

Uploaded by

nnn mm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
44 views20 pages

2 Orientation

Building orientation is an important factor that affects thermal comfort and ventilation. It refers to how a building is situated on its site in relation to the sun's path and prevailing winds. Proper orientation admits winter sun and rejects unwanted summer sun. Key considerations for orientation include exposure to sun, wind, and nearby structures that provide shade. Buildings should generally be placed on an east-west axis with the long side facing south to maximize daylighting. Landscaping and external shading devices also impact microclimate and solar gains.

Uploaded by

nnn mm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

ORIENTATION OF BUILDINGS

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
Building Orientation
• It refers to the way a building is situated on a site and the
positioning of windows, rooflines, and other features.
• A well orientated building admits low angle winter sun, rejects
overhead summer sun, and minimizes the cooling effect caused
by winter winds.
• Orientation of building is a very important factor which is
directly connected to the standards of thermal comfort and
ventilation within building.
Building Orientation
• It is guided by natural elements like sunlight and its intensity, direction
of the wind, seasons of the year and temperature variations.
• Advantage of existing shadow patterns created from vegetation and
nearby structures are considered.
• It is used to nest the building within the habitat, while taking
advantage of natural lighting.
• Buildings that are built on mid to upper slopes are warmer than those
on hilltops or in valleys.
• The building should have adequate cross ventilation.
Building Orientation
In deciding how to orient the building, take note of:-
• Exposure to sun, wind and water
• Proximity of nearby buildings, fences, trees, and pavement and
their possible effects
• Buildings provide shade and windbreak.
• Fences and walls block or channel the wind.
• Bodies of water help to moderate temperature, but increase
humidity.
• Trees provide shade, windbreaks, or wind channels.
• Pavement reflects or absorbs heat, depending on whether it
is light or dark in colour.
Building Orientation

Buildings should be placed on


an east-west axis with the
longest wall facing south or
south-east to maximum light
penetration and passive solar
heating.
Orientation in Hot & Dry Climate
Orient the buildings with the long axes in the east-west direction so that the
longest walls face north and south, and only the short wall face east and west.
How to Optimize Building Orientation
 Buildings account for about 30% of all energy
consumption globally. Building energy codes help
ensure that new buildings use energy efficiently,
and this can reduce building energy use by 50%
or more compared to buildings designed without
energy efficiency in mind.
 A building oriented for solar design takes
advantage of passive and active solar strategies.
Passive solar strategies use energy from the sun
to heat and illuminate buildings. Building
orientation and building materials also facilitate
temperature moderation and natural day
lighting.
Passive Solar Systems
• Passive cooling removes or rejects heat from the building, keeping
temperatures cool. Avoiding any mechanical operations to moderate
temperature achieves energy and cost savings by alleviating the cooling
load demanded.
• Shading devices can also reduce unwanted solar gains by blocking the sun
during the summer months, while natural ventilation, which relies on
natural airflow and breezes, can reduce the need for mechanical cooling
when the building is occupied.
Passive Solar Systems
 Rectangular floor plans elongated on an east-west axis.
 Glazed south-facing wall.
 Thermal storage medium exposed to the solar radiation.
 Light shelves / overhangs or other shading devices which sufficiently
shade the south-facing elevation from the summer sun; south
elevation overhangs should be horizontal while east and west
elevations usually require both horizontal and vertical overhangs.
 Windows on the east and west walls, and preferably none on the north
walls.
External Shades
• External shading devices should be designed according to the
orientation of façade. For instance on North orientation
minimum or no shading is required.
• On South orientation external shades should be designed after
studying the sun path. Shading devices on South orientation
could be permanent in nature, as most part of the day, Sun
remains in South orientation.
• It is preferable to design movable external shading devices on
East and West facades, so that the shades could be removed
after sun faces opposite orientation.
Landscape
• Landscaping is an important element in altering the micro-climate of a
place. Proper landscaping reduced direct sun from striking and heating up
building surfaces.
• It is the best way to provide a buffer for heat, sun, noise, traffic, and airflow
or for diverting airflow or exchanging heat in a solar-passive design.
• It prevents reflected light carrying heat into a building from the ground or
other surfaces.
• Additionally, the shade created by trees, reduces air temperature of the
micro climate around the building through evapo-transpiration.
• Properly designed roof gardens help to reduce heat loads in a building.
Plantation
• In locating a building, take
advantage of natural wind
breaks such as stand of trees,
small hills or hedges.
• In temperate humid area
shade is required but it shall
be obtained by segregation of
houses and shady tree
plantation not very close to
house.
Location of trees to protect from winds
Plantation
• Deciduous trees provide shade in summers and sunlight in winters;
hence, planting such trees on the west and southwestern side of the
building is a natural solar passive strategy.
• On the other hand, evergreen trees on the north and north-west of the
building provide shade round the year.
• The use of dense trees and shrub plantings on the west and southwest
sides of a building will block the summer setting sun.
S um m
er
Sun

Au
Spr tumn
ing /
Sun
W
i nte
r S un
Building Form
• The building form also determines the air flow pattern around the building
directly affecting its ventilation. The compactness of the building is
measured using the ratio of surface area to volume (S/V). The depth of a
building also determines the requirement for artificial lighting. The greater
the depth, higher is the need for artificial lighting.
• The circular geometry has the lowest S/V ratio thus the conduction gains
from the building envelope as well as solar gains from windows are least,
in circular geometry in comparison to other building geometries which is
most energy efficient in hot & dry climate.
Sun Shades
Fixed Type of Louvers
Adjustable & Movable - Louvers
Any Questions????

You might also like