21/01/2022, 01:20 Form & Orientation - NZEB

Form & Orientation

Introduction

Buildings must be responsive to solar orientation on the site. The sun is at a low angle during the winters and to the south
of east-west axis. During summer, its path is at a high angle and slightly north to the east west axis. The alteration in path
affects solar radiation penetration patterns during different seasons and consequently, heat gain and loss in a building.

Form and orientation constitute two of the most important passive design strategies for reducing energy
consumption and improving thermal comfort for occupants of a building. It affects the amount of sun falling on
surfaces, daylighting and direction of winds. Towards net zero energy goals, form and orientation have significant
impact on building’s energy efficiency, by harnessing sun and prevailing winds to our advantage. Thus they play a
pivotal role in NZEB design approach as these strategies are one time interventions and their potential benefits
should not be missed.

Building designs vary according to context of its location and climate. However, the underlying principle remains the
same, maximising amount of solar radiation in winter and minimizing the amount in summers. In predominantly hot
regions, buildings should be ideally oriented to minimize solar gains, the reverse is applicable for cold regions.
Orientation also plays an important role with regard to wind direction.

The building form determines the volume of space inside a building that needs to be heated or cooled. Thus, more
compact the shape, the less wasteful it is in gaining/losing heat. In hot & dry regions and cold climates, building’s
 shape needs to be compact to reduce heat gain and losses, respectively.

Recommendations

https://nzebnew.pivotaldesign.biz/knowledge-centre/passive-design/form-orientation/ 1/5
21/01/2022, 01:20 Form & Orientation - NZEB

Orient buildings to take advantage of prevailing wind. In case of multiple buildings on a site, they must be arranged to avoid
built forms falling in the wind shadows created by other buildings on the site.

Cooling for hot region

1. In tropical climate like India, long facades of buildings oriented towards north- south are preferred.
2. Buildings should be oriented with their longer axis (north –south) aligned perpendicular to the prevailing winds
to facilitate maximum air-flow and cross ventilation through the building. (Buildings can be oriented at an angle
between 0° to 30° with respect to the prevailing wind direction (http://envitrans.com/windrose.php) in your city)

3. Buildings that feature a courtyard (in climates where cooling is desired), orienting the courtyard 45° from the
prevailing wind maximizes wind flow into the courtyard and enhances cross ventilation in the building.
4. In hot & dry climates, the surface to volume(S/V) ratio of the building should be as low as possible to minimize
heat gain (compact plans have greater thermal efficiency, e.g. a square plan is more thermally efficient than a
rectangular one).

5. Recommendation for composite climate (e.g. Delhi and  Gurgaon) :

1. Compact form with low S/V ratio is recommended.

2. A square plan with a courtyard would be very effective.

3. A rectangular form with a longer axis along the north-south is the preferred orientation.

4. East and west orientation should be protected by buffer spaces, shaded walls, etc.

https://nzebnew.pivotaldesign.biz/knowledge-centre/passive-design/form-orientation/ 2/5
21/01/2022, 01:20 Form & Orientation - NZEB

Mutual shading of built forms and compact forms i.e. forms with low surface area to volume (S/V) ratio and low perimeter to
area (P/A) ratio are ideal for extreme climates. Compact forms gain less heat during daytime and lose less heat at nighttime.

Heating for cold regions

1. Surface area to volume ratio of a building should be low to avoid unwanted heat loss (approaching a cube or a
hemisphere).
2. For cold climates, orientation slightly east of south is favoured (especially 15° east of south), exposing the unit to
morning and afternoon sun and enabling the building to heat during the day.

3. Buildings with a ‘rectangular form’ should ideally orient their longer axes towards north-south direction rather
than east-west direction. Greater the perimeter to area ratio, greater is the heat gain of the building.
4. Greater the perimeter to area ratio, greater is the heat gain of the building.

5. Building form for energy efficiency should consider the floor area, perimeter, building height and surface to
volume ratio.

https://nzebnew.pivotaldesign.biz/knowledge-centre/passive-design/form-orientation/ 3/5
21/01/2022, 01:20 Form & Orientation - NZEB

Service cores can act as thermal buffers against heat gain and loss. Optimal locations for building service cores are in the
east and west.

Resources & Tools

Online Resources

http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/buildings/passive-heating
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/passive_cooling.htm

Kamal, M. (2012 ). An Overview of Passive Cooling Techniques in Buildings: Design concepts and architectural
interventions . Acta Technica Napocensis: Civil Engineering & Architecture , Vol 55 (84-97).

Publications

Sustainable Building Design Manual – Volume 1 and 2

Geetha , N., & Velraj, R. (2012). Passive cooling methods for energy efficient buildings with and without thermal
energy storage – A review. Energy Education Science and Technology Part A: Energy Science and Research, Vol
29- 913 – 946.

Energy Efficiency Buildings in India- TERI

Tools

Autodesk Ecotect Analysis

Autodesk Ecotect Analysis  is an  environmental analysis  tool that allows  designers  to simulate
building  performance  from the earliest stages of  conceptual design. It combines analysis  functions  with
an interactive display that presents analytical results directly within the context of the building model.
http://usa.autodesk.com/ecotect-analysis/

https://nzebnew.pivotaldesign.biz/knowledge-centre/passive-design/form-orientation/ 4/5
21/01/2022, 01:20 Form & Orientation - NZEB

Climate Consultant
A graphic-based computer program that displays climate data in dozens of ways useful to architects, builders,
contractors, and homeowners, including temperatures, humidity, wind velocity, sky cover, and solar radiation in
both 2-D and 3-D graphics for every hour of the year in either Metric or Imperial units.

Energy & Cost Savings

The form of the building and orientation of the spaces determine the thermal and visual comfort to a large
extent.

Appropriate building orientation can result in reducing cooling demand and energy use compared to a wrongly
oriented building.

passive
design
HVAC
lighting
efficient
appliances
renewable
energy

Privacy Policy

https://nzebnew.pivotaldesign.biz/knowledge-centre/passive-design/form-orientation/ 5/5