Our Solar System, To Scale

The video gives some perspective about our place in the solar system.
The video gives some perspective about our place in the solar system.
Happy Winter Solstice!

It’s that time of year when the days are short as the sun travels its lowest and shallowest path across our sky. Passive solar homes are ones that integrate with their environments and take this into account. If a passive solar house has its windows facing the south, on the Winter Solstice, the sun’s […]
Passive Solar Down Under, the Te Kauwhata House

The Solarei Architecture firm based in New Zealand, is building sleek, efficient passive solar homes that integrate natural ventilation to help cool and heat the building, while respecting the surrounding environment by building sustainably. Based out of New Zealand and Bangkok, Thailand, Solarei is a young architecture firm building an impressive portfolio of passive solar […]
How Passive Solar Keeps You Cool in the Summer

The dog days of summer are upon us.
It’s hot.
Yet well-built passive solar houses are cool.
The Summer Solstice!

The summer solstice is significant to passive solar building because they are built to take advantage of the sun’s predictable path through the sky.
This helps them to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
The Icarus Sundial and Other Sundials

Since humans have roamed the earth, the sun has been used to indicate the passage of time.
Long Summer Days, Passive Solar Cooling…

There’s been a delay in posting, more so than usual, and there are a few reasons why.
The Significance of the Winter Solstice

Today is December 21st, the day of the winter solstice. It is the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight as the sun ‘travels’ its lowest and shortest arc through the sky*.
Our Relationship With the Universe

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. On this day, the sun seemingly travels its longest and highest arc through the sky. I’m reminded of how passive solar building is dependent on the surrounding elements to work. While the sun appears to travel through the sky, alas, we are not the […]
Passive Solar Site Design Planning

Southern facing windows do not allow the sun into the house, whereas in the winter, the sun reaches deep into the house.