Can't build a north-facing home. What now?

It's almost a maxim that people desire a north-facing home. But what if the property has a great view that you can't miss?

Designing a house with a different orientation doesn't mean you're missing out. In fact, facing other points of the compass can offer benefits that a northern angle won't capture.

The orientation of a house (also known as the exposure) refers to the compass direction of the main living space. Many people prize a north-facing house because it provides an even amount of sunlight to the house in all months of the year.

A north-facing house can also reduce the energy consumption of a home by up to 70% since both heating and air conditioning depending on the intensity of sunlight streaming through the windows.

But if maximising the sunlight in the backyard is important for a homeowner, a south-facing house can be a great choice. The trade-off is that this orientation won't receive much direct sunlight in winter and only late afternoon and early morning sunlight during summer. But with generous window placement or skylights, you can naturally brighten a south-facing home without too much trouble.

Another factor to consider is that, as a rule, south-facing homes tend to be cooler in the summer. 

If you're a morning person, an east-facing house will capture all the morning sun until noon and avoid the heat of the afternoon. 

An east-facing house will make the rooms uncomfortably hot in the morning during the summer months. But in the winter months, all that sunlight pouring through the windows can be a beautiful way to start the day.

Similarly, west-facing houses with a clear sightline to the horizon can offer brilliant sunset views all year-round as the light comes in low and hot. In the afternoon and evening hours, rooms facing west will be toasty in the winter, but they can get a bit warm in the summer.

Of course, only a glass cube can offer direct sunlight all day, but no one wants to live in a greenhouse!

Maddren Homes expert builders can advise you on numerous ways to capture, borrow, and reflect warmth and light no matter your home's orientation. 

Here are a few options to keep in mind:

• A clerestory is a fancy name for a row of windows placed above eye level. Higher windows can encourage ambient lighting to spread through a room all day regardless of weather conditions and are a softer option than the direct light of a windowpane set lower in the wall.

• Another option is to include an indoor courtyard in your design. This will naturally improve lighting across the whole house.

• Skylights can also be placed pretty much anywhere and are a great way to provide diffused lighting into even the deepest recesses of a home.

• And you might be surprised at how brighter wall paint and décor can transport light into a room.

Here at Maddren Homes, we are up to date with the latest science, thinking, and technology to create a healthy, sustainable home. We'd be only too happy to answer your questions and consult with you on how you can achieve your dream home, which is also a healthy and sustainable house. Send us an email here.