Passive Solar Lessons from My Childhood Home

Advocating for the diversification of buildings, biomes, and businesses to establish sustainable legacies.

I remember the first time I discovered that my childhood home had the PERFECT orientation for passive solar design.

The house wasn't anything extraordinary. It was built in 1968 and was in your run-of-the-mill suburban cul-de-sac. Its excellent orientation was entirely circumstantial.    

Memories instantly flooded back of winter months curling up next to the big glass slider that went out to the porch.  

I would actually POST UP.  As in, bring all my pillows, blankets, books, snacks… you name it.  

Yup, that space on the floor became my friend.

The kitchen also brought in a wealth of morning light. I remember rolling out christmas cookies on the kitchen table that was flooded with sunshine from early morning to early afternoon.

In my mind, this was the lively side of the house. I could watch the dancing of shadows and the passage of time. 

It was actually perfectly aligned 10-20 degrees to the south-east (yep, that's right—south east!), which warmed the home up when we needed it after the cold winter nights. 

But there was one problem.

Even though the light was great in the winter, these spaces were a bit hot in the summer. Just a few awnings or overhangs would have done the trick to cool the space.

Once I learned this about my childhood home, I finally understood why certain rooms felt the way they did. Why I never wanted to hang out in the living room. And why I had urges to blast down the wall between them…

… to let the light in!

Passive Solar Design isn't just about energy performance (although that is VERY important)…

….It's about creating light and life in our homes, and feeling at home in the spaces we live. 

That's why I created a complementary Passive Heating and Cooling Checklist for you.

When we're designing a home, there is so much to think about! Often, these simple passive heating and cooling design strategies get lost in the mix.

I don't want that to happen to you!

This checklist will help you make sure you don't miss the opportunity to adapt your home to your climate and your site.

And most importantly….to bask in the warm sunshine on the coldest winter day!