Once you’ve found the ideal place for your Maui dream home, do you know the best way to place it?
Building orientation is the concept of building a home or other structure to optimize it with the surroundings. This includes capitalizing on the sun’s position to harness its available energy, especially with solar panels. Correct placement on your home site is essential for comfort and aesthetics as well as energy conservation.
Maui’s multiple microclimates mean that the orientation of your home will be essential to both the views and breezes that cool your home in warmer months.
South Or North?
This depends on how warm or cool you need your home to be.
As a rule, the south-facing home will be warmer and brighter, because it receives sun at the front of the house for most of the day. By contrast, the north-facing home will be darker and cooler since the sun is at the back of the house.
If you enjoy spending time outside on a porch or patio, consider which way the prevalent wind blows in order to take advantage.
View Placement
Much of the placement for views depends on where your home site is on Maui. Take a look at your home site and decide which area is the one you like the best.
If you’re building in a coastal area with great beach views, you’ll want to make sure you have a good view of the area. But if you’re building in an area where the mountains are a primary feature, you’ll want to make them a focal point for your view.
Of course, a picture, bay, or bow window is the ideal way to showcase an incredible view and make it a feature in your house any time of day or night.
Location, Location, Location
This is an especially true statement in Maui. You’ll need to consider where on Maui you plant to build, and what the topography is like on your home site. There are six distinct and different climates on Maui, which will also affect orientation.
“Microclimates” are described as a climate in a distinct area that’s different than one around it. The heavy rains seen in Maui’s mountain areas are a stark contrast to the drier areas along the western coasts.
Building a home in the northeastern part of the Island, around the West Maui Mountains in the Iao Valley, or in the eastern part of the Island, from Paia down to Ohe’o Gulch, rain is a consideration, especially in the center.
Places like Paia and Hana see yearly rainfall of 60 to 80 inches. Areas farther inland such as the Haleakalā National Park and the Koolau Forest Reserve have higher elevations and see as much as 400 inches of rain per year.
But closer to the coast, places such as Kapalua, Ka’anapali, Lahaina, Kihei, and Wailea have lower elevations and rainfall closer to 30 inches per year.
Areas situated in between the two extremes have variable amounts of rain based on their elevations, such as Olinda and Makawao.
Let Pro Draft Help Optimize Your Home
Let Pro Draft help with architecture, drawings, blueprints, permits, and everything else you need to build your new home in Maui. From planning to drawings to construction, we’ll work to make sure your project is done to your specifications and your needs.
Call Pro Draft today at (808) 579-9050 or 1-800-499-4699 from the Mainland
