Using elevation and azimuth in architecture.

[Garvey]

I've done some self teaching today, and well, my nerd side is getting a good dose of information. Someday I will build a house on the land I just purchased. I will be planting trees this month, as well as the following autum and winters for a few years (trees aint cheap). I wanted to place the trees so that they would shade when I needed it, and let light in when I don't, winter vs. summer. Then I applied the charts I've obtained to how I will be building. Face the house to the south, gather light in the winter, shade the walls in the summer. Not a new technique for home building, but it has not been applied to millions of homes across America since most people do not have the option of clocking their house as they please on small lots of land, I have any option I want. So I am already doing research as to how to place the shop in relation to the house, where trees should be planted, and am delving into overhangs such as eaves, porches and carports. This is interesting stuff and I'm not new to constuction but I am new to building so that the sunlight hits where you want it to. A very helpful website has been Home ☼ SunEarthTools.com solar tools for consumers and designers. I place the cursor exactly on the building site and it shows me the sun's path through the sky, cast shadows in relation to the compass, elevationa and azimuth for any day of the year. Very cool!

Has anyone here been down this road before? I see a quality compass and a protractor with a plumbob in my future.

 

[Maggot]

A lot of it is just logical think through but an interesting link. Thanks for posting.

 

[Garvey]

Yessir.

True, it's obvious to face the south, make shade to the west, ect. I'm getting into wall height, overhang lenght and want to get it right. I hope this is the last house I ever live in, and fortunately, I have plenty of time to plan.

 

[George63]

planting the trees near the future building site may seem like a good idea, but the reality.. not so much, the disturbance from the build is too likely to screw up the trees -

better plan may be to plant a bunch of saplings out of the way of the future building and have them clamed / moved for final landscaping

 

[79jeepcj5]

What George said.

I've been in construction many years and have seen countless times what using heavy equipment in close proximity to established, mature trees can do to them. Soil compaction is the culprit in that it doesnt allow proper seepage and the tree is unable to absorb the nutrients it needs.

There will be no immediate effect, but you will start seeing symptoms within a few years. It will usually begin with higher, smaller branches dying, then bark scaling and so on until you end up with a tree needing to come down before it damages something or drops a large limb on someone's head.

Anyway, good luck on the new house. If you should decide to contract it yourself, watch out for that lowest bid sub. Get references and make sure they have the proper licenses and insurance to include workers comp or an exemption (varies state by state).

Regards

Matt

 

[bogeybrown]

One of my professors in college 20+yrs ago (before the interwebs) designed and built a house in South Louisiana that required no air conditioning. Being in Texas you can appreciate what a feat of engineering that was. He accessed old archives and talked to some of the architecture and anthropology profs to help.

Essentially very wide overhangs/wraparound porches with transoms above the doors to allow for cross-ventilation, aligned with prevailing winds and properly shaded/positioned to the sun. All he needed was ceiling fans to move some air around just like in the antebellum days.

We all thought he was crazy when he said "no A/C" but he pulled it off. Good luck with the project, don't forget the secret-entrance gun room.

 

[Garvey]

DGeorge,

What you stated was on my mind as I laid awake in bed at 0100 this morning at the fire station. Maybe I will purchase small trees, plant them now, away from the build site, and have them moved after the construction is over with. Thinking of the azimuth and elevation the most benefit of large trees, they would need to be situated very close to the south side of the house, so the cast shadow covers the roof in the summer. I bet I'm asking to kill them I I plant them that close to the future foundation, and well, large trees aren't cheap. Which is why I plan to buy small ones now, and I'll grow them bigger.


Bogeybrown,

The story you tell is exactly what I have on my mind. That man performed an amazing feat to combat high heat and humidity that we enjoy. Mine will be air conditioned, and extremely insulated, but it will also have doors, with screen doors, and windows line up north and south so I can open them in the 8 weeks total that we have of pleasant weather. I read an article in 2007 titled "Build in 2007 like it was 1907". Basically what your prof did. Why build with the structure oriented all wrong when I don't have to?

79jeep,

I too am a construction contractor. I'm in the steel side of the industry, and I know well what you speak of to be true. You get what you pay for even with subs. I have a good friend who is a builder, and I've called him several times to get the phone numbers of the subs he uses. His M.O. is high quality workmanship, so his subs are high quality as well.

 

[woojos]

I have two buddies who started their own solar install company. They have to do this for every install.

Yours sounds like a particularly fun project.

 

[fastrider777]

In California, we are required to provide tree protection during construction. This is usually chain link fence with driven posts outside the dripline of the trees on the site. In our area we have a lot of bay oaks and they are very protective of those trees. Trimming a branch without a permit can lead to fines and threats of jail time.

But building close to trees can be done if they are protected correctly.

 

[Garvey]

I'm not surprised Cali regulates what you can do on YOUR land with YOUR trees. I bet you know what to do, and what not to do now. I hope it's easier for you in the future.