You can upgrade insulation, change your windows and add solar panels later. You can't pick the house up and turn it around. Orientation, meaning how your home sits in relation to the sun and the breezes, is the one design decision that's locked in for good once the slab is poured.

Get it right and the house does a lot of the heating and cooling work for free. Get it wrong and you'll pay for it in power bills and uncomfortable rooms for as long as you live there. Under NCC 2022, most new homes also need a 7-star NatHERS rating, and orientation has a big say in how easily (and cheaply) you get there.

Plan of a house with living areas and windows to the north under the summer and winter sun paths, and a section showing an eave shading high summer sun while low winter sun reaches the floor.
Is your homes orientation really important? Read on to learn all about it

The basic principles

Living areas to the north

In Australia the sun sits in the northern sky. In winter it's low, so it shines deep into north-facing windows and warms the house. In summer it's high, so a properly sized eave or overhang over a north window blocks it.

That's why the core rule is to put your main living areas (living, dining, kitchen) and their big windows on the north side. Ideally they face within about 15° west to 20° east of true north. That's enough flexibility to work on most blocks.

Plan of a house with the high summer and low winter sun paths across the northern sky, living areas and windows facing north.
A sun path diagram - rises in the east and sets in the west, just at different angles for summer and and winter

Watch the east and west

East and west windows are the hard ones. The low morning and afternoon sun comes in almost horizontally, so eaves don't stop it. West sun on a summer afternoon is the worst of all.

  • Keep east and west windows smaller where you can.
  • Shade them externally with screens, shutters, louvres, deep verandahs or planting.
  • Put rooms that can cope with the heat, such as the garage, laundry and bathrooms, on the west.

Bedrooms and service rooms

  • Bedrooms often work well on the east (gentle morning sun, cooler in the afternoon) or the south.
  • Garage, laundry, bathrooms and storage go well on the west or south, where they act as a buffer.

Solar north, not magnetic north

When designers talk about north, they mean true (solar) north, not where your compass points. The difference varies around Australia. Your survey plan and site plan show true north, and most phone compass apps can be set to true north.

Sections through a north wall showing a porch, eave and pergola blocking the high summer sun while the low winter sun reaches the floor.
Is the climate working for or against you? Check your orientation and design to suit the suns path and penetration through windows and doors.

Catch the breezes

Breezes are free air conditioning. Place windows and doors on opposite sides of the house, in line with the prevailing summer breezes, so air can flow through (cross-ventilation). Casement and louvre windows catch breezes better than sliders. High-level windows or vents let hot air escape. On the coast, the afternoon sea breeze is your friend, so find out which way it blows on your site.

Shading

  • Eaves and overhangs over north windows: wide enough to block summer sun but not so wide they block winter sun. The right width depends on the window height and your latitude, so ask your designer to check it. YourHome has guidance on sizing.
  • Verandahs and pergolas shade walls and create cool outdoor spaces.
  • Adjustable shading like external blinds and louvres lets you fine-tune through the seasons.
  • Planting: deciduous trees on the north give summer shade and drop their leaves for winter sun. Shrubs and screens help block low east and west sun.

Thermal mass and glazing

Thermal mass (concrete slabs, brick or block walls) soaks up heat and releases it slowly. It's helpful where winter sun can reach it, and where nights cool down. In hot humid climates it can work against you if it's not shaded and ventilated.

Windows matter as much as where they face. Australian windows are rated under WERS for U-value (heat passing through) and SHGC (solar heat getting in). In most of Queensland, a lower SHGC on east and west glass, plus good shading, usually does more than expensive double glazing.

Six panels comparing single, double and triple low-E glazing: in winter less room heat escapes through each extra pane, and in summer more of the sun's heat is reflected and less comes through.
Glazing has a massive effect on heating and cooling (costs) in your home

Roof

Wide eaves help on every side. A lighter roof colour keeps the roof space cooler and usually helps your energy rating in Queensland. Roof ventilation helps hot air escape.

The Impact of Roof Colors on Urban Heat Islands in Australia
The choice of roof colour in your home is more than just an aesthetic decision; it has real implications for the local climate. This article offers a nuanced discussion of the scientific, aesthetic, and practical aspects of roof colours.
ConstructorAnthony Painter

What changes with your climate zone

The NCC splits Australia into eight climate zones. Your energy assessor works to your zone, and the right strategy changes with it.

Table of the eight NCC climate zones from high-humidity tropical to alpine, with example places for each.
Where your located determines design consideration

Zones 1 and 2: hot humid and warm humid (e.g. Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane)

Cooling is the priority. Most of coastal Queensland is here.

  • Shade every wall and window, not just the north. Wide eaves and verandahs are your best tools.
  • Design for cross-ventilation, with openings across from each other and in line with the breezes.
  • Keep east and west glazing small and shaded.
  • Elevated, lightweight designs that let air flow underneath work well in the tropics.
  • North-facing living areas still help in zone 2, where winters are mild but cool enough to enjoy some sun.
Two elevations: closely placed buildings shading their neighbours' walls and the gaps between them, and a narrow street where building height relative to street width sets how much of the street and the opposite wall is in shade.
Tropical Climate shading options

Zone 3: hot dry summer, warm winter (e.g. Longreach, Mount Isa)

Summer heat is intense and dry, with big temperature swings between day and night.

  • Shade is essential, especially on the west.
  • Thermal mass can help if it's shaded in summer and the house can be opened up at night to flush out the heat.
  • Light-coloured roofs and walls reduce heat gain.

Zones 4 to 6: temperate climates

These zones need a balance of winter heating and summer cooling. Zone 4 is hot and dry in summer with cool winters (inland areas), zone 5 is warm temperate (for example Sydney and Perth) and zone 6 is mild temperate (for example Melbourne).

  • North-facing living areas with correctly sized eaves are the core strategy.
  • Thermal mass in sunlit areas helps even out temperatures.
  • Deciduous planting gives seasonal shade.

Zones 7 and 8: cool temperate and alpine

Heating is the priority.

  • Maximise north glass and winter sun.
  • Insulate well and use thermal mass to store the heat.
  • Minimise east, west and south glazing, and use good-quality double glazing.

Queensland has some cooler pockets too. Elevated areas like the Granite Belt get frosty winters, so check your zone rather than assuming.

A hotter future

Whatever your zone, summers are getting hotter. Design in extra shading for east and west windows, plan for good ventilation, and allow for ceiling fans. They're cheap to install during the build and much harder to add later.

The Queensland reality: you often can't choose your orientation

Here's the catch. On most new estate blocks, the street layout decides which way your house faces. If your block faces north at the front, your living areas might end up on the street side, or the designer has to work harder to get the sun in at the back.

So:

  • Check orientation before you buy land. A block where the back yard faces north is generally easier to design for than one where it faces west. My free C1 Before Buying Land checklist covers this and the other checks to make before you sign.
  • Ask whether your chosen design can be flipped or mirrored to suit the block. Many volume builders can do this.
  • Talk to the energy assessor early. Ask how your orientation affects your 7-star NatHERS result and what it would cost to get there with your block and design.
💡
Energy assessors are accredited professionals who can help you refine and enhance your design for better energy efficiency. They’re not just there to tick a box during the building approval process.

Instead, consider involving them early in your project, before finalising your design. Seek their input on your proposed house layout, materials, and other elements, and incorporate their feedback to create a more efficient, comfortable, and liveable home.

Common challenges and fixes

  • Narrow or small blocks: use long north-facing walls, upper-level north windows, clerestory windows or a north-facing courtyard to get sun into the middle of the house.
  • Overshadowing by neighbours: high windows, courtyards and light wells can bring light in over a neighbour's roof.
  • South-facing slopes: a narrow, stepped design along the slope with clerestory windows can still capture winter sun.
  • Poor access to breezes: ceiling fans, high-level vents and careful landscaping to funnel air can make up for it.
  • Bushfire-prone areas: window protection depends on which sides face the bushfire hazard and on the site's BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) rating under AS 3959, not on which way the window faces. Your design has to suit that rating.
  • Cyclone regions: windows, doors and the roof must be designed for the site's wind classification. Shading devices and verandahs need to be designed for the wind too.
Three sections of a north-facing wall with a porch roof, an eave and a pergola, each blocking steep summer sun and letting low winter sun reach the floor, plus a diagram of noon sun angles for Sydney.
Overhangs and sun angles. The same principles apply to neighbouring properties and overshadows

What to check on your plans

  • True north is shown, and the living areas sit on the north side where the block allows.
  • North windows have eaves or shading sized for summer sun.
  • East and west windows are limited and have external shading shown.
  • Windows are placed for cross-ventilation.
  • Window specifications (U-value and SHGC) match the energy assessment.
  • Roof colour, insulation and glazing on the plans match what the energy assessment assumed.

My C20 Design Your New Home checklist walks you through these and the other design decisions to lock in before you sign.

C20 - What You Should Know When You Design Your New Home

$59.00 AUD

Last updated 5 Oct 2026 · Revision 1 · Free updates for life

Checklist Type: Minor

Form Factor: Fillable, print-ready PDF (A4, 47 pages)

When to use: Design stage: before the plans and specification are finalised and before you sign

A 372-question guide to work through while designing your home. Settle orientation, light, soil, drainage, layout, finishes and costs early, so you avoid changes and delays later.

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What to check on site

  • Slab stage: the house is set out on the block where the site plan shows it, with the right orientation. A house rotated or shifted on the block can change shading and overshadowing. My C5 Pre Pour Slab checklist covers set-out checks.
  • Frame stage: windows and doors are in the positions and sizes on the plan, especially on the north, east and west. My C7 Frame checklist covers this.
  • Roof stage: eave widths match the plans.
  • Windows: the glazing delivered matches the specification in the energy assessment.
  • Shading: external shading devices shown on the plans are actually installed.

If you're buying or renovating an existing home

  • Look for north-facing living areas with eaves, and limited unshaded west glass.
  • If the house isn't well oriented, external blinds, awnings, shade sails, verandahs, window film on east and west glass and ceiling fans can make a big difference for relatively little money.
  • Bigger fixes, like moving the living areas or adding north windows, are worth considering as part of a renovation.

The payoff

A well-oriented home is cheaper to run, more comfortable year-round, easier to get to 7 stars and more appealing when you sell. And unlike most upgrades, orientation costs nothing extra if you get it right at the start.

Further reading

Architects’ Role in Energy Savings: Building SustainabilityLearn about the crucial role of architects in creating energy-efficient homes. This article emphasises the impact of design choices on household energy use and the responsibility of architects to prioritise sustainability, offering strategies for reducing carbon footprints and energy costs.Sunlight filtering through tall pine trees onto mossy rocks in a forest12 Key Benefits of Home Ventilation Systems ExplainedConsidering the air quality in your new home? Dive into the 12 compelling benefits of installing a ventilation system. From controlling impurities and reducing temperatures to alleviating asthma symptoms and mitigating VOC impacts, discover how ventilation can enhance your living environment.Ventilation and Airtightness: Improve Comfort and EfficiencyAchieving a comfortable, healthy home requires balancing ventilation and air tightness. In this article we explore practical methods to improve both. Learn how to prevent air leaks, reduce condensation, and improve your home’s efficiency.