The increase in apartment buildings,
security reasons and safety from rain and dust, have
deterred people from adopting courtyards in their
homes and so Balconies have taken the
place of Courtyards.
Balconies, verandahs, and terraces
should ideally be built on the north, northeast, or
east sides of the house, not on the south or west
sides. If a balcony is on the southwest side of a
house, it should be covered and closed.
A Balcony is a platform that projects from the
wall of the building and is surrounded by a railing. It is usually
attached and accessed from the Bedroom. It is meant for relaxing.
It may or may not have a roof.
Balconies should be in the East or
North part of the house: They should not be to the South
or the West sides of the main building. The Scientific Reason - A
Balcony is a good place to sit out and sun-bathe. So the ideal
position for this will be in the North, where there is constant
sunlight and the East where there is morning Sunlight.The West and
South sides are too hot to sit and hence should be avoided.
Heavy furniture and seating should be
placed only in the South-West part of the Balcony: The
Scientific Reason – The North and East parts of the Balcony
should not be obstructed by heavy furniture, so that the sunlight
can stream in and light up the whole place.
A swing should be placed in the East-West axis: The Scientific
Reason - This way, the person sitting on the swing, faces either
North or South and thus the sun will not hit him in the face
directly.
Small plants can be placed in the
North-East of the Balcony: The Scientific Reason - Plants
need sunlight to thrive and so should be placed in the North-East,
where there is constant, morning sunlight. However if they grow
too tall or grow up a pillar, they will obstruct the light into
the Balcony and so should be kept short.
Keep only small flower pots in the
Balcony: Flower pots with Creepers should not be kept in
the Balcony. The Logic - Big flower pots and pots with owerflowing
creepers tend to obstruct light into the Balcony.
Height of the Balcony roof should be
less than the roof of the main bilding: The Logic - A
Balcony is a small space and will look proportional only if the
roof is a bit lower than the rest of the building.
Avoid using asbestos or tin roof for a
Balcony: The Logic - A tin or asbestos roof absorbs and
traps heat within a space, making it uncomfortably hot for the users.
LOCATION OF A
BALCONY:
Balconies should be in the East or North part
of the house.
Avoid Balconies in the South or the West
sides of the main building.
ARRANGEMENT OF FURNITURE IN A BALCONY:
Heavy furniture and seating should be placed
in the South-West of the balcony.
Swing should be in the East-West axis.
Small plants should be placed in the
North-East of the Balcony.
Keep only small flower pots in the Balcony.
Avoid flower pots with creepers in the
Balcony.
BALCONY ROOF:
The height of the Balcony roof should be less
than the roof of the main building.
Avoid using asbestos or tin for the roof of a
Balcony.
