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PAMANTASAN NG COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE
LUNGSOD NG MAYNILA AND URBAN PLANNING
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
ORIENTATION
ALNIE KHAYZER HAYUDINI, RLA, RMP
What is Page 2
ORIENTATION? Orientation, is
from Latin word
“oriens ,
orientum”,
which means
the rising sun,
in architecture,
it is the
position of a
building in
relation to an
east-west axis
I n M e s o p o t a m i a a n d E g y p t , a s w e l l a sP a g ei n3
pre-Columbian Central America, the
important features of the buildings, such
as entrances and passages, faced east,
in the direction of the rising sun.
Muslims, in their prayers, turn toward
Mecca, whatever direction that may be.
A c c o r d i n g l y, m o s q u e s a r e o r i e n t e d s o
that the mihrab, or prayer niche, faces
Mecca.
In early Christian churches, architects
commonly oriented churches to the west,
s u c h a s i n t h e b a s i l i c a o f O l d S t . P e t e r ’s
in Rome.
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The building orientation is generally
used to refer solar orientation while
planning of house with respect to
sun path; in other words positioning
of a building with respect to the sun
to maximize solar gain at the
appropriate time of the year. The
orientation can refer to a particular
room or most important, the
building facade.
Best house orientation can increase
the energy efficiency of your home
by making it more comfortable to
live in and cheaper to run from
e n e r g y c o n s u m p t i o n p o i n t o f v i e w.
Thus, building orientation of the
whole building plays an important
part in designing a good home.
Main objective of building orientation is to minim
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Ideal heat gain and
Conditions Plan your house windows & doors in the East to allow
t h e S u n ’s U V r a y s t o p e n e t r a t e i n t o t h e h o u s e i n t h e
mornings. While main windows and longer sides
should face north or south to catch prevailing winds.
The most frequently used rooms during the day are
oriented in the East and the North whereas the rooms
that are used mostly at night are restricted to the
South and the West, which are hotter directions.
The orientation of kitchen and toilet&bath should be
towards the east to allow the UV rays to destroy the
germs/bacteria/viruses that tend to multiply in the
presence of moisture.
The design of houses should be in such a way that all
rooms get the maximum benefit of the sunlight
whether the occupants desire it or not.
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Ideal
Conditions
While deciding the building orientation, one must also
take into consideration the location of landscape
feature in a plot, i.e. trees, planters, etc. which will
affect the building depending on sun direction and
sun path.
Tr e e s a n d t a l l s h r u b s s h o u l d b e p l a n t e d t o w a r d s
south and west of the site to protect the inmates from
the afternoon heat and to provide them with oxygen.
The open water bodies in gardens should be kept in
the north-east to enable the morning UV rays of the
sunlight to destroy germs & bacteria before using it.
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Ideal
Conditions Since the east-west sides will still be exposed to the
sun, the windows on these sides should have
protection from direct sunlight.
There are several ways to do this. Providing wide roof
overhangs is one of the simplest strategies to shield
the building from the sun. Another method is to
recess the windows from the exterior walls, these are
called cavity walls. Overhead ledges that protrude
above the window can also be adopted. Modern
buildings attach what is known as sunshades or
brise-soleil to protect wide windows. Light shelves,
placed halfway through the windows, offer the
advantage of giving shade to the space below while
allowing light to bounce off the shelves deep inside
the rooms.
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STRATEGIES to •
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Elongated plans are good
MAXIMIZE • Minimize internal partition
building • Elevate structure on stilts
orientation • Use high ceilings to diffuse
heat
• Use high level windows
(clerestory)
• Put vents in roof
• Put windows on opposite
sides
• Maximize fenestration size
and distribution
• Use shading methods
• Choose the right materials
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*Images used in this presentation is not the property of the presenter.
Thank you & Reference/s:
• The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2012). ORIENTATION. Retrieved from:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/orientation-architecture
• Patel, P. (2017). IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING ORIENTATION IN ARCHITECTURE. Retrieved from:
https://gharpedia.com/blog/importance-of-building-orientation-in-architecture/
keep safe.
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ASYNCHRONOUS
ACTIVITY
• Do an orientation analysis of your home, and proposed changes
that would better the architecture of it
