climate control

The advantages of good design, house orientation and garden layout can help reduce heating and cooling costs. Make sure your builder understands good design principles and has your best long-term interests at heart.

• In winter, the arc of the sun is shorter and the angle low. To maximise use of the warming winter sun, the main rooms like living, family and bedrooms should face north. To let the winter sun into these rooms, windows on the northern side of the house should be large.
• In summer, the arc of the sun is much larger and the angle high. To prevent the hot sun penetrating, a roof over-hang or verandah on the northern side of the house is advisable.

• A smart landscaping design helps with sun control by providing shading on the western wall, i.e. closely planted trees assist in reducing the inside house temperature.
• Deciduous trees and creepers on the northern side of a house allow the winter sun in, and in summer provide welcome shade and glare reduction.
• Trees should not be planted too close to the house, especially in expansive soils.
• To an extent, heat loss in a house can be attributed to the amount of wind which passes over it in winter. This can be minimised with windbreak planting using suitable trees and shrubs.
• Every allotment is different. While every attempt is made to meet the above design principles, individual circumstances may prevent this but the Hickinbotham design team will always try.