Best directional orientation for home/backyard?

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by cjs123

One-story house, front of the house faces south (which feels hottest), back faces north. I do like the orientation.

We have that. Our neighborhood is all about front porches, walking, etc. It's too hot to sit on the front porch most of the day. Our favorite orientation was a two story house that faced west. The backyard was in the shade during the hottest part of the day.

[MGS4EVER]

Originally Posted by OUgrad09

So your backyard/patio doesn't bake in the summer with the southern exposure all day? If so, that's interesting. I would have thought a north facing backyard would be cooler.

North would be ideal, but no it does not. My back patio and carport shade 80% of the back of the house. I have a huge picture window, but a tree shades that in the afternoon.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by hikernut

In June the sun starts hitting the north side of a building around 4pm (here in Phoenix). So from that time until sunset the sun is blasting the the north side of the house, and for the last hour or two the sun is so low that patio overhangs do not help much.

Our pool and covered patio are on the east side of our house. Probably the best thing about this is that the pool gets shade from the house starting in the late afternoon. For me, pool time in the shade is the only pleasant way to be outside in the summer. This home orientation can be a problem, however, if you have big windows on the east side that let lots of sunlight into the house in the morning.

I think you mean West Side; the suns orientation to the North does not change much over the course of a day. West/East is more logical, assuming that's what you meant?

[locolife]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

We have that. Our neighborhood is all about front porches, walking, etc. It's too hot to sit on the front porch most of the day. Our favorite orientation was a two story house that faced west. The backyard was in the shade during the hottest part of the day.

You could just plant a low water use tree in your front yard, then your front South facing porch would be shaded. That's what we did, front of our house is shaded pretty much all day...

[KO Stradivarius]

Originally Posted by locolife

You could just plant a low water use tree in your front yard, then your front South facing porch would be shaded. That's what we did, front of our house is shaded pretty much all day...

Shade trees are priceless. But unless you plant a huge mature tree, it will take years to grow large enough to provide adequate shade.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by KO Stradivarius

Shade trees are priceless. But unless you plant a huge mature tree, it will take years to grow large enough to provide adequate shade.

If you have zero patience you can buy pretty massive trees from Moon Valley and such but I'm sure you pay a lot for that. We went with a Willow Acacia and it was about 15' tall when they planted it. Within 3 years it was over 20' tall and now at 5-6 years (can't remember exactly) it appears to be 30' to 35' range now and is fairly wide, I'd guess around 15' or so.

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/fast-w...row-73829.html

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by locolife

I think you mean West Side; the suns orientation to the North does not change much over the course of a day. West/East is more logical, assuming that's what you meant?

Of course the west side is getting hit by sun all afternoon, and the east side is getting hit all morning. Most people understand this.

North and south sides are not as obvious. In June the north side gets the early morning and late afternoon sun, while the south side gets the midday sun.

According to this calculator, on the summer solstice the sun's azimuth is 270 degrees (due west) at 3:46pm. Half an hour before sunset the azimuth is 295 degrees.

https://gml.noaa.gov/grad/solcalc/azel.html