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Light first: planning rooms near the equator
In Nairobi the sun climbs almost straight overhead. The light to plan around is the low morning and evening sun from the east and west.
· 4 min read
Nairobi sits just south of the equator. Through the year the midday sun is close to overhead — slightly north of it for about half the year and slightly south for the other half — so north- and south-facing windows get little direct sun and a steady, even light.
What that means for a plan
- East-facing rooms get bright, low morning sun: good for kitchens and breakfast tables.
- West-facing rooms take the hot, low evening sun straight in: shade them with deep reveals, external screens or planting, not just curtains.
- North and south facades give the most usable daylight for working: studies and offices.
- Overhangs work well on north and south facades because the sun is high; they do little against east and west sun.
In an existing flat
You can't move the windows, but you can move the rooms. In our Kilimani study the living room moved into the west-facing bedroom for the evening view, and the ceiling plane was stopped short of the glass to hide the blind that tames that same evening sun.