,orienting the ,house                   
,a study of the placing                 
of the house with                       
relation to the                         
sun's rays                              
,illustration                           
,price ,twenty-five ,cents              
,,american ,,face ,,brick ,,association 
#acj ,north ,wells ,street              
,,chicago       #aibb4 ,eben ,rodgers1  
,president1 ,a4 ,f4 ,b4 ,a4             
,illustration3      ,detail of          
,residence1 ,sheridan ,road1 ,chicago1  
,illinois    ,walter ,miller1 ,architect
                                        
,orienting the ,house      ,in selecting
 a home site1 there are a number of very
 important things  to be considered4    
,when once you settle the point of      
convenient  accessibility to your work  
or place of business1 you doubtless     
think  first of the neighborhood in     
which you and your family are going to  
live1 the kind of people about you1 the 
church1 school1 and library  privileges1

 and such like questions4    ,then you  
will consider the physical character of 
the place1 its slopes  and levels1 its  
trees1 its gardens1 its outlook1 or1 in 
a word1 its  attractiveness from an     
aesthetic point of view2 to which are   
closely  related the practical questions
 of pure water supply1 good drainage1   
and shelter from the extremes of        
weather4 ,no matter how attractive      
otherwise a locality might be1 you would
 not consider it for a moment  unless   
the conditions of sanitation and        
healthfulness were fully met2  and you  
would want some natural protection from 
the severe storms of  winter as well as 
from the blazing heat of summer4 ,in the
 winter you  would want as little breeze
 and as much sun1 and in the summer as  
little sun and as much breeze as        
possible4    ,finally1 in selecting your
 site1 it would be well to have in mind 
the  house you intend to build and the  
way you want it to face4 ,if possible1  
get your house plan first and select    

your lot accordingly4 ,or1 at any  rate1
 picture it all out in your mind to     
guide you in selecting your  location4  
,by a little planning and forethought   
you may not only secure  the outlook you
 want but the exposures to sun or breeze
 most desired4  ,you cannot change      
climatic conditions or topography1 but1 
to an  appreciable extent1 you can      
adjust the location of your house to    
them4    ,the ,orientation ,chart1 here 
given1 shows the points of sunrise and  
sunset1 on the horizon1 midsummer and   
midwinter1 as well as the  direction of 
the sunlight each successive hour of the
 midsummer and  midwinter day4 ,the     
chart will thus aid you1 so far as      
conditions  permit1 in facing your house
 so as to get the sun or shade where you
  want it4    ,illustration3            
,orientation ,chart       #aibb4 ,eben  
,rodgers1 ,president1 ,a4 ,f4 ,b4 ,a4   
,issued by ,american ,face ,brick       
,association      ,a,f,b,a    ,,use     
,,face ,,brick    it ,pays      #acj    

,north ,wells ,street1 ,chicago1 ,ill4  
,chart to be used in connection with    
text of booklet1 8,orienting the        
,house0    ,in the first place1 you see 
three broad1 concentric circles1 on the 
outside of which the rising and setting 
sun is depicted for both  midsummer and 
midwinter day4 ,the figures1 #cj-ej1    
alongside of the sun  represent degrees 
of north latitude1 wherever you may     
happen to live1  which1 with the        
exception of most of ,florida and       
southern ,texas1 cover  the ,united     
,states4 ,the short arrows show the     
direction of the sun's  rays at sunrise 
and sunset4    ,illustration3           
,garden ,side of ,residence1 ,westbury1 
,l4 ,i4    ,peabody1 ,wilson  ,brown1   
,architects    ,the inner circle        
represents your horizon1 and the degrees
 marked upon  it show the points of     
sunrise and sunset1 north or south of   
the direct  east and west line4 ,these  
angular distances1 in terms of degrees1 
are  called amplitudes1 north or south1 

and must not be confused with the       
degrees of latitude on the earth's      
surface1 indicated by the numbers  along
 side of the sun1 though intimately     
dependent upon them4 ,the  amplitude of 
the horizon point1 where the sun rises  
and sets from  time to time during the  
year1 always depends upon the latitude  
on the  earth's surface where you happen
 to live1 as may be seen by following   
with your eye the direction of the      
arrows of latitude through the          
amplitude circle4 ,starting from the    
number indicating the latitude  where   
you live1 trace the arrow until it      
touches the amplitude circle4  ,you can 
then read the degree on it which shows  
how far north or south  of the east and 
west line the sun rises or sets4 ,we are
 indebted to  ,professor ,philip ,fox1  
of the ,dearborn ,astronomical          
,observatory at  ,evanston1 ,illinois1  
for determining these points4    ,the   
two outer circles are sun-dials for     
midsummer and midwinter day at  the     

#djth degree of north latitude2 and1 if 
you imagined them pivoted  on their     
rising and setting points and tipped up 
from the south to  represent the        
slanting path of the sun during the day1
 they show the  direction from which the
 sun is shining during successive hours 
of the  day 7or night on the other side 
of the world74 ,the shaded portions of  
these circles represent night1 which for
 all northern latitudes is  short in    
summer and long in winter1 as the day is
 short in winter and  long in summer4   
,if you examine the hour spaces on the  
winter dial of  your winter night1 you  
will find them exactly like those on the
 summer  dial of your summer day4 ,so   
also your winter day hours are spaced   
like  your summer night hours4 ,south of
 the equator1 people have precisely  the
 same experiences only in the reverse   
order4 ,new ,zealanders1 we  fancy1 wear
 straw hats in ,january and fur caps in 
,july4 ,if you liked  summer well enough
 and cared to move1 you could live in a 

perpetual  summer on our little globe4  
,it is probable1 however1 that1 like    
most  people1 you rather prefer the     
change of seasons1 in spite of          
occasional  extremes4    ,the irregular 
hour spaces on the dials would make it  
appear that the  sun moves around the   
earth in a sort of jerky way4 ,on the   
contrary1 it  moves1 or rather the earth
 rotates1 at an absolutely uniform rate1
 but  the tilt of the sun's path to your
 horizon line gives you at certain      
points a fore-shortened view by which   
the sun seems to cover various          
distances at various stages of its      
course4    ,the sun-dial time is used on
 our chart as it more universally       
applies  at different meridians on a    
given latitude1 than does our standard  
time  which1 for the sake of timepiece  
uniformity1 is a compromise based on    
mean solar time4 ,as the earth's orbit  
is such as to make the sun gain  a      
little or lose a little in crossing the 
meridian each day during  the year1 the 

total annual time of the sun is averaged
 into uniform  daily periods1 which in  
turn are divided into #bd uniform hours 
and  referred to certain meridians the  
world round1 about an hour apart4  ,to  
show the exact position of the sun in   
strict agreement with these             
standardized hours would require a      
special chart for every degree of       
longitude1 and then be of no especial   
value for our present purpose2  for     
while the astronomer must have exact    
time to the fraction of a  second1 the  
differences between watch and sun-dial  
are not enough at  any time to affect   
essentially our problem4 ,so that1 if   
you do not  find the hours marked on our
 summer and winter sun-dials1 at any    
time1  exactly agreeing with your watch1
 you may1 nevertheless1 trust them to   
show you accurately enough from what    
direction the sun is shining at         
different hours of the day4             
,illustration3      ,residence1 ,st4    
,paul1 ,minnesota      ,james ,alan     

,mac,leod1 ,architect    ,the chart is  
drawn for midsummer and midwinter day on
 the #djth degree  of north latitude1   
which is taken as the best average line 
that runs  midway of the country from   
ocean to ocean1 passing through or near 
,new  ,york ,city 7,n72 ,philadelphia1  
,pa2 ,columbus and ,cincinnati 7,s71    
,ohio2  ,indianapolis1 ,ind4 7,s72      
,springfield1 ,ill4 7,s72 ,st4 ,louis   
and ,kansas  ,city1 ,mo4 7,s72 the      
northern boundary of ,kansas2 ,denver1  
,colo4 7,s72 ,salt  ,lake ,city1 ,utah  
7,n72 ,carson ,city1 ,nev4 7,s72 and    
,sacramento1 ,calif4 7,s74  ,with the   
exception of ,st4 ,louis and            
,sacramento1 which are something  over a
 degree south of this line1 all of these
 places are either on it  or within less
 than a degree of it1 north or south4   
,illustration3      ,residence1         
,buffalo1 ,new ,york      ,edw4         
,henrich1 ,architect    ,you will see1  
as drawn on the chart1 how the sun's    
rays morning  and evening1 summer and   

winter1 are indicated streaming out in  
the  direction of the latitude arrows   
marked #dj4 ,if you live on or near  any
 of the other degrees of latitude1      
indicated by the other arrows1  imagine 
the center of the sun slipped up or down
 to that point1 and  then trace the rays
 lightly with a soft pencil across the  
chart in  lines parallel with the       
respective arrows4    ,illustration3    
8,home of ,beauty10 ,design #aja1 ,rear 
,view    ,of course1 if you make any    
change1 all four suns must be moved in a
  corresponding way1 for you will       
observe how beautifully symmetrical  the
 chart is4 ,for any given northern      
latitude1 the midsummer sun rises  and  
sets north of due east and west at      
exactly corresponding points  on the    
eastern and western horizons1 and these 
points in turn exactly  correspond1 six 
months later1 with those for midwinter  
day south of  due east and west4    ,and
 this exact correspondence east and     
west1 for the day1 and north  and south1

 for the season1 will obtain for any day
 in the year1 or  for any place you take
 on the earth's surface4 ,of course1 it 
must be  noted that the time of rising  
and setting will change with every new  
position taken4 ,if you draw the        
midsummer sun down and the midwinter    
sun correspondingly up until they       
coalesce at 8,e0 and 8,w10 you have the 
equinoxes about ,march #bast and        
,september #bast1 with the sun rising   
and  setting due east and west1 and     
equal day and night in any part of the  
world except the poles4                 
,illustration3      ,residence1         
,highland ,park1 ,illinois      ,n4 ,max
 ,dunning1 ,architect    ,living where  
you do1 somewhere between #cj and #ej   
north latitude1 the  sun1 summer or     
winter1 will never pass overhead at noon
 but shine on  a slant from the south1  
very much more in winter than summer4   
,this  slant of the sun1 however1 will  
not concern you practically so much  in 
placing your house1 as will the time and

 direction of sunrise at  the extremes  
of ,june and ,december1 and the position
 of the sun the  successive hours of the
 day1 at those times of the year4       
,you have certain rooms in which you    
especially want the sun1 morning or     
afternoon2 or a porch you want as much  
in the shade as possible1 let us  say4  
,in tracing the direction of the sun's  
rays1 do not think of them  as          
converging or as spreading out4 ,think  
of them rather as coming in  great1     
broad1 parallel bands so that no matter 
how large your house may  be1 the moment
 one side gets the sun1 the opposite    
parallel side falls  into shade4 ,the   
broad band of parallel lines streaming  
from the sun1 as  seen on the chart1 is 
meant to illustrate this4    ,now cut a 
piece of light cardboard in the shape of
 your house1 at a  greatly reduced      
scale1 with all its porches and         
projections1 as1 for  example1 the blank
 form on the chart4 ,attach it with a   
pin at the  center of the chart1 so it  

may be easily turned4 ,first place your 
house  facing directly east4 ,you will  
see on midsummer day that the north and 
east elevations will get the first      
morning sun4 ,about #h o'clock the sun  
will leave the north side and begin to  
illuminate the south elevation4  ,at    
noon1 the sun will pass from the east to
 the west side of the house1  and then1 
at #d o'clock1 leave the south and creep
 back to the north  side of the house1  
shining on west and north sides from    
then on until  its setting between #g   
and #h o'clock in the evening4          
,illustration3      ,residence1         
,glencoe1 ,illinois      ,robert ,e4    
,seyfarth1 ,architect    ,at the        
opposite season of the year1 that is1 in
 midwinter1 your house1  still faced    
directly east1 will have the first sun  
between #g and #h  o'clock in the       
morning on the east and south sides4 ,at
 noon1 the east  side will be deserted  
for the west1 and from then on the south
 and  west sides of the house will have 

the sun until its setting between #d    
and #e o'clock4 ,thus1 in the winter1   
the north side of your house will  get  
no sun at all4 ,this would hardly be a  
good place for the kitchen1  though it  
would be well enough in the summer1 as  
the sun would be out  of it by #h       
o'clock in the morning and not return   
until #d o'clock in the  afternoon when 
its rays are shorn of much of their     
midday strength4 ,you  know1 of course1 
that during the changing seasons or the 
changing hours  of the day1 the sun's   
warmth depends largely on the slant of  
its rays4  ,in the summer1 the north    
side would be a good place for a shady  
porch  most of the day4 ,however1 the   
east side of the house would give you a 
shady porch from noon till sunset4 ,but 
a porch around the northeast  corner    
would give you shade from #h o'clock in 
the morning clear through  the day until
 sunset4    ,by turning your house one  
way or another from this direct east and
  west position1 you can see what       

modifications of sun and shade you  get4
 ,suppose you turn it northeast1 almost 
facing the morning sun on  midsummer    
day4 ,the front of the house would      
directly get the rising  sun between #d 
and #e o'clock in the morning4 ,at #f   
o'clock1 the south  front would come    
into the sunlight4 ,at half-past #aj    
o'clock1 the east  front would fall into
 shade for the rest of the day1 while   
the west  front would begin to catch the
 sun4 ,by #b3cj o'clock in the          
afternoon1  the south side would be in  
the shade for the rest of the day and   
the  north side would get the sun from  
then on till sunset1 between #g and #h  
o'clock4 ,a porch on the east front of  
this house would be in the shade  all   
the summer day after half-past #aj      
o'clock4 ,but1 in the winter1 it  would 
not be so fortunate as the house faced  
to the cardinal points1  for1 as just   
indicated1 it would get the sun only on 
two sides all day  long2 and yet the    
summer advantages might more than       

compensate4 ,try  slighter turns than   
those suggested1 and you may get just   
the result  you want for a given room or
 porch4    ,the placing of your house   
for the sun is really a problem of      
settling  on the rooms or porches you   
want favored1 and then letting the other
  portions of the house take care of    
themselves4 ,in determining these       
questions of sun and shade on your      
house1 due consideration must be  given 
to neighboring structures1 trees1 or    
portions of the house that  might       
otherwise get the sun if it were not for
 certain extensions1  such as bays1     
porches1 ,l's1 and the like4 ,of course1
 nearby hills or  mountains would have a
 marked effect on just when you got the 
sun in  the morning or lose it in the   
evening1 no matter where or when the sun
  really rose and set4    ,illustration3
      ,bungalow1 ,new ,orleans          
,nathan ,kohlman1 ,architect    ,as     
already suggested1 if you live on or    
near any of the other degrees  of north 

latitude marked1 imagine the center of  
the suns slipped  around to that degree1
 and then draw light pencil lines across
 the  chart parallel with the respective
 arrows4 ,do the same also for other    
parts of the year than the solstices    
which are shown here4 ,for each         
succeeding month1 move the center of the
 suns down and up from the  solsticial  
points about a third of the distance to 
8,e40 ,at 8,e0 the sun  has reached     
either equinox and will rise directly in
 the east and set  directly in the west4
 ,remember that for several days on     
either side of  a given position of the 
sun1 there will be no essential change  
in the  direction of its rays that you  
need practically to consider4    ,but at
 the times1 other than the solstices1   
while you can thus get  the direction of
 the rising and setting sun1 the        
sun-dial of our  chart won't exactly    
apply4 ,what happens is that as the sun 
moves down  or up from the solstice to  
the equinox1 the summer hour spaces grow

  more uniform1 while the winter hours  
grow somewhat longer4 ,but with  the    
general direction of the morning and    
afternoon light settled for  the two    
solsticial extremes1 the hour position  
of the sun during the  between seasons  
will not be of so much importance4      
,of course1 you can't have everything in
 this world exactly your own  way1 but  
by studying carefully the ,orientation  
,chart in connection  with your plans   
for building a home1 you may get many   
valuable hints  for selecting your lot  
and locating your house which will lead 
to  arrangement of lasting satisfaction 
to you in the coziness1 comfort1  and   
attractiveness of your home4 ,a sunny   
corner or a shady spot1 where  you need 
it and when you need it1 may cure an    
invalid or develop a  poet1 as the case 
may be and as the years go on4          
,the ,right ,kind of ,house to ,orient  
,before you have the problem of         
orienting your home1 you have the more  
important problem of deciding on the    

kind of home you intend to build4  ,it  
is one of the most1 if not the most1    
important question you have to  settle4 
,in the first place1 it is an economic  
question1 for you want to be sure  of   
getting value received for the money you
 expend4 ,to do so1 the house  you build
 must1 aside from its satisfactory      
design1 be permanent2 it  must be easily
 and economically maintained2 it must be
 comfortable and  safe against fire2 and
 it must be attractive4 ,in a word1 it  
must give  you satisfaction in every    
way1 inasmuch as you and your family are
  going to be in it a long time2 or1 if 
circumstances compel you to move1  you  
want the house to make a persuasively   
attractive appeal to the  intending     
renter or purchaser4    ,such a house   
you can build of brick1 the endurance of
 which has been  demonstrated through   
thousands of years4 8,by frost1 nor     
fire1 nor  flood1 nor even time are well
 burned clays destroyed40 ,this         
permanence  of brick construction means 

a saving on insurance rates1 on upkeep1 
and  on depreciation1 while the material
 lends itself to the most beautiful  and
 varied artistic effects4 8,strength and
 beauty10 the essential  characteristics
 of all good building1 may be fully met 
in brick  construction4    ,if you have 
not already seen ,the ,story of ,brick1 
you should send for  a copy1 as you will
 find in it many valuable suggestions4  
,,american ,,face ,,brick ,,association 
#acj ,north ,wells ,street              
,,chicago                               
,rogers  ,company1 ,chicago and ,new    
,york      ,illustration3 backcover     
,transcriber's ,notes3     ,text in     
italics is enclosed by underscores      
7italics74     ,obvious printer's1      
punctuation and spelling inaccuracies   
were     silently corrected4