Working with Site and Location


 
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. However, it is also worth remembering that, even outside the equatorial regions, in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere winter the sun rises south of east and in the summer it rises north of east. This means that in summer the north face of a building in these regions might be very briefly exposed to the sun, but in the winter the sun will never warm that building’s northern face. In the northern hemisphere, after rising, the sun will be seen traversing across the sky in the south. The reverse is true south of the equator.


In our site south facing is facing towards the trees and bushes. Considering this is a passive house design its not really ideal for maximizing solar gain, however it will provide very good shading to prevent overheating.


Site topography informs us about building location
The topography which is the from of the land must be studied before you begin to design. if their are existing hills, valleys and other natural features located nearby then this affects the wind direction and also the amount of energy used in the home. there is a river located not too far from the site which provide cold air towards the development. However the site is covered well with trees which should stop the flow of wind at a slower pace. this is known as a windbreak or shelter belt. If a building is located with a well designed windbreak this can result in energy savings of 15 to 20% because cooling of the building envelope is reduced.


With regards I site I must think where to position my houses and leave adequate space to have a functionally windbreak that can reduce energy costs within the home.


Wind and rain reduce the temperature of the building envelope, leading to the need for additional energy to heat the interior in cool climates and seasons. Roof overhangs can provide protection from rain. Windbreaks can take a number of forms, all of which can become architectural devices in a design: 
• Trees
• Hedges 
• Fences 
• Garden walls 
• Courtyards




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