Room placement for a north facing house
- Main entrance: on the north side, towards the north-east.
- Living room: north or north-east, at the front.
- Kitchen: south-east, or north-west as the alternative.
- Master bedroom: south-west, at the rear.
- Pooja room: north-east.
- Staircase: south or west, rising clockwise.
- Toilets: west, north-west or south; not in the north-east.
- Car parking: north-west or north-east at the front, planned so it does not block the entrance.
Light and climate
North light is the most usable daylight there is: bright, steady and without glare. Put the rooms you use most during the day at the front and give them generous windows. The rear (south) and west walls take the strongest sun, so shade them with deep chajjas, a verandah or a jaali.
Common mistakes
Parking that blocks the north-east. On narrow north facing plots the car porch often swallows the best corner. Shifting it to the north-west usually frees the entrance and living room.
Small front windows. North-facing glass gets little direct sun, so it is the one side where large windows rarely overheat the room.