Building Orientation

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The orientation of the walls and windows affects the amount of heat entering and leaving a home. The general rule is to orient the house, so the main wall and window areas face north, also minimise windows to the west and, to a lesser extent, to the east.

In Australia the sun travels in the northern sky in winter. By placing living areas and windows to the north it allows rooms to be heated during the day thereby reducing the need for artificial heating at night.