what is the length and width of the block and are there any good or bad views?...many homes have the "front" of the house facing the street regardless of the direction of north but good design can make the best of the orientation..check out yourhome.gov for guidance to suit your block and location

Hi oklouise. The block is 20m wide and 46m down the "short side". Views are to the south south west. Ive read the yourhome.gov and thought I had it sorted but the neighbours houses have thrown me off as they are both the opposite of what I thought would be the orientation

Definitely living areas facing north east. Bedrooms on south/east for morning sun, but not the hot afternoon sun. Utilities on south/west. Minimal windows on west side. Don't worry about what your neighbours have done. If you visit their homes, note how much sun is coming into their south windows in the winter. I would say it is minimal. Their bedrooms may be at the front, with the northern sun in the winter. But, most of us don't spend the day in our bedrooms.

Your neighbours have built for the views, not for passive solar orientation. You need to design a good mix of both.

you should be able to have the views to the south and then consider courtyards, skylights and clerestory windows to bring in northern light and stretch the house down the length of the block with alfresco on the north west side to keep the house cooler in summer

Thanks for the comments everyone. It was starting to do my head in!

Don't look at your neighbours to see what they have done. Many project builders site their standard product plans based on the crossover and driveway side rather than considering any benefits of correct solar orientation.

Best of luck,

Dr Retro

of Dr Retro House Calls

I agree with everyone here. Unfortunately, most people don't consider their home's orientation & the sun's path when they build. This appears to be the case for your neighbours. If you do you should have a home that is much more comfortable than the neighbours.

Being orientated 45° off true north does make things tougher, as you now have two western aspects to worry about, NW & SW, NW being the worst. But at least you you have a 20m frontage, this wide block gives you some options with things like courtyards, so that rooms facing NW may instead have SW or NE windows. A wide block may also give you the option of planting a decent sized tree or two on the west, to screen hot afternoon sun.

If you're having a garage, the NW corner is likely to be the best place for it, to take the brunt of that western sun. I'd possible, put the services (laundry & bathrooms) on the west too.

Best of luck.

The theories of orientation are good in the ideal scenario. However other factors come into play such as views, topography, climate, etc. No use having North facing living spaces with large areas of glazing if you face a busy road, have a large number of trees shadowing these areas in winter and close the blinds during the day when out at work, etc.. The theory is accurate but the reality tells a different story.

Good design work will overcome these issues and provide other opportunities.

This design is an example of something that may work for your situation.

Agree with MB. Hence why it's a very good idea to consider orientation before you purchase a block, not afterwards.

Good passive solar design will help with comfort & energy use for just about any block, though it's much easier (& likely cheaper) with a well orientated block.

something like this?

Yes something like that! Thanks oklouise. I like the courtyard and it is along the lines of what I was thinking of.

In theory every house should be designed for its specific block which will then take into account all of the above comments. Don't forget to think NOW about how other things will affect: ie the garden, deciduous trees, pergolas and about heating and cooling NOW before your half way thru the build. Good Luck