The orientation of buildings: a catalogue of the conditioning factors

Abstract

The livability and comfort of a house is determined by the relation of the house to the family and the house to the site. In consideration of livability and comfort the Architect designs with space, mechanical equipment and building materials as his tools. If there are influences that affect the orientation of these tools, then mastering the conditioning factors of the influences is as important as the ability to integrate mechanical equipment and building materials into space. When the space of the interior and the space of the exterior are a compliment to each other, each contributing to the livability and comfort of the building, then the orientation of the building is complete. The dissimilarity of people yields dissimilarity in buildings; it is this constant variation in buildings plus the constant variation in building sites that requires each orientation problem/\be considered separately. Since orientation is the relation of the building to the points of the compass, then any factor that influences the relation is an orientation factor. The primary factors, because they are the most obvious and desirable, are Sun, Wind, and View; but the Architect must consider all for complete orientation.