Orientation. In many locations, an ideal orientation for buildings is an elongated, narrow plan allowing the north and south façades of the building maximum exposure to more easily controllable daylight. From a day lighting standpoint, this is desirable because direct solar radiation received by the south façade is easier to control to prevent excess solar gain, is relatively uniform, and is necessary for passive solar heating strategies. The nearly constant diffuse skylight availability on the northfaçade is advantageous for uniform and soft day lighting.Figure 14.3 shows how orientation affects cooling, lighting, and heating energy for a building.