Analysis of Climate and site design: Hot and Dry

Sun and light:

Shelter the house from the hot summer sun by placing little or no windows on the east and west sides of the building. Place the majority of the windows on the North side of the house, to capture the winter sun.

As the sun sits high in the sky in summer and lower in winter, it is a good idea to have small high windows, so they can be shaded by the eaves during summer. The low angle of the winter sun means that it can go under the eaves.

Other methods of shading include verandas, awnings and the use of vegetation to shade the house.

Heating and cooling:

Control the climate of the house actively, by designing it so it is adapted to the hot, dry climate and uses appropriate materials, such as pale surfaces on the roof to reflect the sun. Should also use passive heating and cooling techniques including air-conditioning, heaters and fans; evaporative coolers works best in the dry atmosphere.

Insulation should also be used. Possibly, solar panels could be used to make use of the hot daytime sun, and could also have part of the house underground to keep it cooler.

Take advantage of the summer breeze by using cross flow ventilation throughout the building, but ensure that the house is protected from breezes during the winter

Materials:

Use materials with high thermal mass such as concrete, brick or stone to help keep daytime temperatures down and retain heat for the cold nights.

Could use locally sourced materials?

Precipitation:

Deserts usually have less than 250 mm of rain annually, and the rate of evaporation usually exceeds the rate of precipitation.

Vegetation:

Due to the hot temperatures and lack of rain the plants must be able to survive on virtually no water. The plants have small leaves, thus the smaller surface area reduces the amount of absorption of water back into the atmosphere. Some plants, such as succulents store water in their stems, leaves and roots. Examples of plants that are able to survive in the desert include cacti, sunflowers and the date palm, though these do not grow naturally in the Australian desert. Australian examples are the Eucalyptus trees, and possibly some varieties of cacti.

The vegetation is more likely to be shrubs rather than large trees, as they are able to survive better.

Vegetation is advantageous as it reduces the amount of dust blown around, due to the dry conditions.

Humidity:

High average temperatures, reaching up to 55 degrees in the shade and freezing temperatures at night. There is little cloud cover to trap the daytime heat so it rapidly cools down at night.