Aspect is an important house planning principle that ensures right space for every activity. It is the peculiarity of the arrangements of the doors and windows in the outside walls of a dwelling, which allows it to enjoy to the utmost, the gifts of nature such as sunshine, breeze, view of the landscape etc East-facing rooms will have good morning light; it can gain heat in the morning all year round. These may need some shading in summer to prevent morning heat gain which may lead to overheating during the day but can be cool in the late afternoon.
North-facing rooms will have good daylight most of the day; can gain heat for most of the day all year and require horizontal shading to prevent overheating in summer West-facing rooms will have good afternoon daylight; can overheat in the afternoon for much of the year and may require vertical shading to prevent excessive overheating and glare in the afternoon
South-facing rooms will have poor daylight for some of the year and will have little heat gain.
Aspect not only provides comfort but is requisite from the hygienic point of view as well. The value of sun’s rays cannot be ever – estimated. They are potent destroyers of organic poisons of spreading diseases and lend a cheerful and genial air to the rooms. With a careful disposition of windows, it is possible to admit sun’s rays into any desired rooms. Interior of the house should be planned according to their need for sun and light in taking account of all activities that occur in and around the house. A room which receives light and air from a particular side is said to have aspect of that direction and all such rooms making a dwelling need particular aspect.
The kitchen should be on E – aspect, so that the morning sun would refresh and purify the air and keep the kitchen cool during the remaining period of the day.
The dining, drawing and living room should have a N- aspect or N-E – aspect. The sun is towards the south during winter and more deviated towards the north during summer, hence these remains cool.
The bedrooms should have S-W- aspect or W-aspect or since the breeze required in the summers will be available from west side only.
But a verandah, a balcony or some such sun-shading device, must be provided on W or S-W side, if it is to protect the structure from the hot afternoon sun.
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