Should I build my house with the windows, doors, terrace, etc facing South? Or North?
I think it should face South!
For years I've been reading house-construction threads here and on various other sites and I think I've never seen a single thread where the house-owner built the house facing south.
Everyone, almost automatically I guess, says: You should build (if there's a choice to do so), your house facing north (living-room, windows, terrace etc) so that you don't heat up your house from the sun.
But is this true? My current house in Pathumthani is built facing almost perfectly north. However, facing north means that from March until September, the sun is at the front of our house, shining on the walls and windows there, making it really hot. March to September obviously are the hot and humid months.
The sun moves south (relative to the house) over the roof and starts shining on the south-side during the Oct-February period.
Now the thing is, those months are the coolest months in Thailand, and often October and November are very cloudy with the raining season in full swing.
So the heat-gain on the south-side during those months is limited, sure far less than the heat-gain on the north-side.
Advantages: during those hot summer months, sun is behind the house you part of your terrace will be in the shadow of the house.
The average temperature is much lower, which offsets the heat-gain from the sun shining directly on your terrace.
Curious to hear the comments on this..
Cheers,
Luc