When designing your home, your architect considers much more than square footage, finishes, and building codes. One key component that dictates home design is actually the site it is being built on. Site orientation and planning with the lot in mind can help optimize your home for better views, more energy efficiency, and general practicality for those everyday things you may not consider when they work but definitely notice when they don’t. Our Texas-based architects here at DK Studio in Austin are defining site orientation and explaining how to best position your home with your site in mind.

Defining Site Orientation

Site orientation refers to the direction that your home faces in relation to the sun’s path, wind patterns, and the lot itself. When planning the site orientation, it is important to remember that the direction your home faces can impact views, interior temperatures, natural lighting, exterior landscaping, resistance to wind damage, access points, energy costs and emissions, feng shui, and even the value of your home. As you can see, there are many factors to consider and many opportunities to fully utilize the land for a design that works with the landscape rather than against it. So, what is the best direction for a home to face? As you may have been able to guess, it greatly depends on the needs and wants of the homeowner. However, there are a few guiding principles to consider.

Best Placement and Orientation for a Home

Generally, when it comes to site orientation we prefer to position the main house facing north. With a north-facing orientation, the home is able to receive a large amount of natural light while also avoiding harsh heat and sun from eastern and western directions. However, an exact orientation is not crucial for achieving these benefits. Orientations of up to 20 degrees west of north and 30 degrees east of north still allow for good sun control and can be achieved on most sites.

Even though the home is positioned to face north, there is still potential for harsh sun exposure on other angles of the structure. For areas like this, it is important to consider shading devices on the east, west, and south sides of the home. This could be in the form of a walled courtyard, longer roof overhangs, and even a screened porch. Elements like these can create more usable spaces, rather than eliminating windows entirely.

Homeowner preferences, however, dictate the best orientation for a home. For example, a homeowner may want a western facing living room to enjoy evening sunsets, an eastern facing breakfast nook for sunrise coffees, or an eastern facing outdoor pool area for warm swims in the evenings.

Considering Views in Site Orientation

While directional placements relative to the sun’s path are a large consideration in site orientation, homeowners oftentimes want to prioritize views. This is especially important for properties that are waterfront or having striking panoramas of mountains, hills, or charming scenery.

When designing for views, our architects typically like to prioritize the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom spaces. These are typically rooms that we spend the most time in, but other rooms like a work-from-home office may also take priority in the design. One thing you want to avoid is buying a spec home plan off the shelf designed with no considerations to your unique lot that ends up positioning the garage with the best view.

Choosing Site Orientation for Efficiency

Another consideration for site orientation is planning for efficiency. While a bay of west-facing windows may sound idyllic for watching evening sunsets, homeowners should consider the electrical costs of cooling this space in the summertime. Otherwise, the result could be a scorching and unusable room that adds hundreds to electricity costs. The best way to maximize home efficiency and reduce emissions is to place most windows facing north, provide forms of shading for windows facing west and south, and to harness the power of the sun with western facing solar panels.

Efficient site orientation doesn’t only mean prioritizing green living and reducing energy costs. There are other ways to position your home to ensure that you are creating an efficient and seamless lifestyle that works with you and your family’s needs. For example, it may be better to place your home closer to the street to allow for a larger backyard and a shorter walk to the door with groceries in hand. If your site has a steep grade, you may also need to consider access points to prevent having to climb stairs or park on a steep incline.

Work Around Existing Site Elements for Practicality

Every site, even flat fields, has elements that have to be recognized for practical home placements and site orientations. There will always be an element to work around and consider, even if it is not visible. This could include trees, utility placements, drainage, easements, and city codes.

Trees can be a beautiful feature to design around. Mature trees offer practical shade to protect the home and also give a sense of beauty and charm. Instead of cutting down an existing tree, the home could be positioned to have the tree shading a deck or creating a visual treehouse feel in second-story rooms.

Elements like utilities, drainage, easements, and codes may prohibit or limit the ability to build on certain areas of the site. For example, it is best to stay away from areas with poor drainage or to address the problem prior to the build to ensure the home is protected in the future. Utility connections are another cost factor to consider. While they may be possible to move, there may be budgetary restrictions. Easements and city codes on the other hand will be almost impossible to change, as they allow someone else to have access and uninterrupted accessibility to certain areas of your site.

When building your dream house, make sure to not only consider finishing touches like flooring or getting your ideal square footage. You will also want to think about your views, energy efficiency, and navigating the unique features of your lot.

Do you need help with designing your home and planning the site orientation?

Tell Us About Your Project

Site Orientation: Optimizing Your Home for Views, Efficiency, and Practicality