Playing the Angles
for Solar-Responsive Design
Solar geometry provides the tools for effective passive solar heating, shading and daylighting.
One major goal of solar-responsive design is to collect the sun shining
through the winter solar window while rejecting the sun when it shines
through the summer solar window.
text and photo by
NORBERT M. LECHNER
Norbert M. lechner ( lechnnm@auburn.edu) is an architect, professor emeritus in the
College of architecture, design, and Construction at auburn university, Leed-accredited
professional and ases Fellow. He is an expert in energy-responsive architectural design
with an emphasis on solar-responsive design. Lechner’s book, Heating, Cooling, Lighting:
Design Methods for Architects, is used by more than a third of all architecture schools in the
united states and in architecture schools worldwide. He is also a sought-after speaker,
giving keynote lectures and workshops at universities and conferences around the world.
this article is the latest in his series of SOLAR TODAY articles on solar-responsive design.
