Siting and OrientationWhat is it? Siting a building involves consideration of where on the property a building will sit. Slopes, water run-off, thermoclines, sunlight, shading, prevailing winds, rainfall, nearby vegetation, and local weather patterns all effect siting. Orientation is more specific, referring to keeping the long side of a building on an east-west axis, with the short walls running north-south.
What are the benefits By placing a home in this manner, low winter sunlight can penetrate into windows on the south wall (in the northern hemisphere), allowing the inside of the building to capture winter heat, storing it up during the day and releasing heat at night. Using overhangs measured and cut at a certain length and angle, passive solar design blocks the hot, high summer sun from penetrating those same south facing windows, keeping a building cool during summer months.
Where does it fit in to an Exup plan? In post-disaster areas, siting and orientation can define exactly where and how a building is positioned. High threat areas sometimes require more emphasis placed on defensible positions and firing arcs than on south-facing glazing, but even a “design nod” towards proper siting and orientation can garner passive heating and cooling benefits.
Fabric shaded eaves can do double duty blocking out the sun in Iraq and creating an “escape zone” for blast waves that would otherwise be concentrated by solid eaves. Even this simplest of solutions can drastically reduce the need for cooling equipment. With no A/C units hanging off a window, it becomes more difficult for hostile forces to debilitate a building with “temperature torture”.
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