The RWKC’s building orientation

A picture of the R.W. Kern Center shows that the second floor is shaded by the roof overhang. Text reads: In the summer, the roof overhang shades the second floor of the building. A banner at the bottom of the image includes a simple shape of the R.W. Kern Center and reads: 100 Days of Building Solutions.
A close up photo of the R.W. Kern Center shows minimal shadows and soft light flowing through the second floor windows. Text reads: During the winter months, the roof overhang does not provide as much shade, allowing sunlight to enter the second floor of the building. A banner at the bottom of the image includes a simple shape of the R.W. Kern Center and reads: 100 Days of Building Solutions.

The R.W. Kern Center sits on an east-west orientation with a roof that slants down toward the south. These two passive design strategies optimize how much energy we generate with our solar panels and how much light enters the building. As you can see in the photos, the angle of our deep overhanging roof shades the second floor of our building in the summer (when the sun is higher in the sky), while allowing sunlight in during winter months.

Project categories: 100 Days of Building Solutions

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