DESIGN RESEARCH: OPTIMISING ROW-HOUSE ORIENTATION

Abstract

ABSTRACT A collaborative research study of modular terrace houses in Auckland, New Zealand has sought to find optimal building orientation, façade design and layout to inform the master plan for a housing development. Two terrace house modules of different size within a large multi-unit development were analysed. EnergyPlus models were based on the preliminary design concepts with sufficient zones that the thermal performance of each functional space within the terrace house could be studied. The smaller terrace house had the greatest difference in performance between best and worst orientations. Further investigation determined that the major determinant of this difference was neither size, nor plan layout of the buildings but was the larger imbalance in window to wall ratios of the two exposed facades