Design for climate
This is an excerpt from an article in Sanctuary magazine issue 6.
One size does not fit all. Australia has eight climate zones, ranging from tropical to alpine. Make sure you employ a designer who is familiar with your zone and who designs climate-appropriate buildings (for instance light-weight and ventilated in hot, dry climates, well insulated and with good solar access in cool climates).
In tropical and hot, dry climates, orientate the house to exclude the sun year-round and to maximise cross-ventilation. In all other climates, your aim should be to minimise the summer sun and maximise the winter sun, which basically means a northern orientation.
Couple your “passive solar” design with thermal mass (materials that absorb heat energy) to retain the warmth of winter sunlight and/or the cool of summer shade.
