ᐅ Single-family house on a north-facing plot?

Hello everyone,

We have the opportunity to buy a plot of land that is 22m (72 feet) wide and 65m (213 feet) long. It is a north-facing lot. How do you usually approach a situation like this? Do you position the house towards the back or the front?

I have uploaded a few pictures for better understanding. The map excerpt is oriented north.

One important criterion for us is "maximum sunlight." Where should the main entrance be located? How can we create a southwest-facing terrace?

Thank you and best regards,
Max

Well, for maximum sunlight, you would try to place the garden towards the street and position the house further back. However, you first need to check with the local authority to find out where your building plot is or which part of the land you are actually allowed to build on.

Thank you for your response. Does it mean a 50-meter (165-foot) long driveway leading to the back? And where is the entrance supposed to be located?

Max.mkmk schrieb:

Thanks for the reply. Does that mean a 50-meter (160 feet) long driveway to the back? And where is the entrance supposed to be?

Since the plot is so long, I would place the house toward the front if possible, ideally close to the northwest boundary.
The terrace could then be positioned around the corner, facing northeast/southeast. This way, the terrace gets sunlight all day. If it extends far enough to the northeast, it can even catch the evening sun from the west.

With a width of 22 meters (72 feet), quite a bit should be possible.

I would place it like Nordanney. The garden at the back of the house also gets full southern sun as soon as you step out of the shade of your own house.
Behind the property there is only farmland, no road.
A long driveway is really expensive.
More expensive site development.

But as Kaho already pointed out, it depends on the building envelope / building area.

The placement also depends on other factors. For example, is it a busy street? Then people usually don’t want to sit right next to it. Another consideration is whether you feel overlooked in front of the house.

You can also design a terrace set slightly away from the house to avoid being in its shade. This way, you have a small path leading to a "pavilion" connected to the pool (for example). That can turn out really well.