Home design based on sunrise/sunset

[jons557]

My lady has a small plot of land on the family property (Phon Tong- east of Roi Et) on which to build a home. It is rectangular in shape with the two longer sides running length-wise east/west. The majority of the homes in the village are like this with the entrance facing sunrise and the kitchens in the back.
My question is are there common/general guidelines to designing a home based on sunrise/sunset? Things like window placement, bedroom locales, garden plots, etc.
Thank you!

[Airportwo]

Be interested to see what others have to say about this, generally??? house should be South facing? though Thai's and Feng Shui tend to have a few twists and turns?

[Thetyim]

My lady has a small plot of land on the family property

Whose name is the land registered in.
Your lady or another family member?

[jons557]

^In my wife's name

[Thetyim]

My question is are there common/general guidelines to designing a home based on sunrise/sunset?

You can build your home orientated as you want.
Personally I would put the bathrooms on the sun facing sides and any balcony/sitting areas on the cool side.

[Humbert]

Main living areas where you will spend the most time during the day should be located on the northern and eastern elevation. Southern and western elevations will get the most sun exposure and should have minimal large window exposure, ample sun sheltering canopies and shutters.

[Kwang]

It all depends on you Jon, What time do you wake up ? Do you want the sun in the morning or afternoon ? Also decide where you want your plot and if you are growing things that need a lot of shade

[aging one]

Mine faces east west. Was fine until the floods killed all the trees. Now its bright as hell in the morning, and the kitchen is hot as hell by 11:00am then the living, dining, and two main bedrooms face west. Hot as hell from 3-6pm because of the sun rays, then setting. With shade its a fantastic way to set up a house. But without, its going to be hotter. I know that I have a few hot years in front of me waiting for my new trees to grow. Still have one big mango tree that made it through probably because we had just pruned it in September.

[DrAndy]

My question is are there common/general guidelines to designing a home based on sunrise/sunset?

try to keep the back of the house facing south, as few windows as possible, and use blocks like QCON for insulation, at least on that side and the west

I would put the bathrooms on the sun facing sides and any balcony/sitting areas on the cool side

yep

[Dan]

Main living areas where you will spend the most time during the day should be located on the northern and eastern elevation. Southern and western elevations will get the most sun exposure and should have minimal large window exposure, ample sun sheltering canopies and shutters.

Plus, if your house is rectangular and aligned east-west, you'll also cut down on heat.

Google Sketchup is very good for this. If you knock up a model of your house, you can enter your latitude and longitude and then run through how it will be exposed to the sun at different times of the day and at different times of the year. I found it really useful.

[brisie]

Bathrooms should be east to help slow mildue and mold.

[Thai Pom]

I was always advised kitchen stove should face east. Fire to the sunrise!!

[DrAndy]

If you knock up a model of your house, you can enter your latitude and longitude and then run through how it will be exposed to the sun at different times of the day and at different times of the year. I found it really useful.

a compass works well, as does simple observation

[Dan]

You can't observe how your roof is going to shade the walls before you build it unless you build a virtual house. And unless you want to sit in your garden for 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a full-size mock up of your house, you're not going to get the same quality of information.

[Kwang]

^ 366 this year

[DrAndy]

You can't observe how your roof is going to shade the walls before you build it unless you build a virtual house. And unless you want to sit in your garden for 12 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a full-size mock up of your house, you're not going to get the same quality of information.

true, but a best estimate works well

[liveinlos]

The coolest part of the day is the morning. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. At midday the sun is directly overhead, shifting towards the west and sunset in later afternoon. This is the hottest part of the day. We have the front of our house facing east. We have a covered patio in the front. In the morning it is cooler, by the time midday approaches the sun is directly overhead and moving towards the back of the house. By afternoon, the front of the house is shaded by the roof. As far as inside the house, if you have curtains it doesnt really matter. The entire back of our house is the kitchen, it has the afternoon sun, the entire rest of the house (east facing) is very cool

[DrAndy]

As far as inside the house, if you have curtains it doesnt really matter

the sun shining through windows, even with curtains , will generate a lot of heat

outside shutters will keep out the worst of it

[rickschoppers]

All good thoughts and some I have used as I build the house. The house is pretty much oriented with the back facing east and the front facing west. The south side of the house is comprised of two bedrooms and one bathroom. The master bedroom is at the north-east corner which should be one of the cooler parts of the house and the living room/entry is at the north-west corner.

We have a nice large shade tree that shades the front of the house and I asked for 2 meter overhangs to give additional shade. The steel is up on the house and Q-con bocks will face the sunny side and double block will make up the rest. We get a good breeze at the back of the house since our plot is elevated which will also help with the cooling affect.

There are some preferences that the Thais try to follow with orientation of the house, but I pretty much ignored all of them and thought about practicality and cross-ventilation.

[Dan]

the sun shining through windows, even with curtains , will generate a lot of heat

Yes. If they're glazed you need to shade them on the outside but if they're open it's not a problem.

[ltnt]

a compass works well, as does simple observation

Does not allow for changes in seasons, (Equinox) simple observation that is...

Where weather changes are common and temperatures vary over the summer and winters one should consider utilizing the sun as a heat source according to most architectural design schools. In certain locations in Thailand the sun is not a positive resource. Homes are commonly built by Thais in relation to the cultural common not out of rocket science. Saying that, most face East and west, with entry's to the East.

Personally, my entry faces south. Baths face east and west all three. When cold weather arrives we are normally greeted with a warmer bathroom, but not warmer water unless we utilize our independent shower water heaters. It is true as previously stated that the sun is a good source for keeping mold down rather than being placed on a north side of your house as a good location for growing mushrooms or orchids.

In the end its always good to go to your property at all times of the day and evening/night to observe the differences in the climate and sun as it pertains to your selected property. Prevalent wind is also a consideration one may wish to observe?

Is the property high or low land? Is there existing utilities, common water sources, electricity, phone lines, proper boundaries, sewage disposal, post, garbage collection, locals burning daily in the area, local mosque, lots of soi dogs, trash pickers abundant, access to metro areas, schools, hospitals, other Ferangs,locals only, access to your chosen entertainment and immigration resources. All considerations when deciding on a land purchase and home build. Cost in actual Baht and cost in personal comfort major considerations for long term lifestyle.

[jons557]

^ Wonderful food for thought. Thank you good Sir! And to all previous posts as well, I have much more to consider now, and that's a good thing.
Thanks fellas

[nevets]

The Sun rises in the east and goes around to the south and sets in the west , so my house fases north so my verander 8mt by 4mt is cool and the sun is off all day, which is a nice place to sit and given that it is 1.5mt of the ground not many mozzys .

[benlovesnuk]

build it underground and dont worry about it.

[Lantern]

Google "Passive solar house design"