ABSTRACT
Passive solar architecture is achieved by designing to capture, store and deliver the sun's energy. In its purest sense, there are no moving parts. Therefore, this chapter starts with built form. At a conceptual stage, architects either rely on a specific brief from a known client, ideally the eventual user, or a less specific one, where the project is speculative. In this case the user may be either completely unknown, or unknown apart from a type. It is also normal for a project, whether bespoke or speculative, to be designed for a particular site. In this case, there will be known characteristics that are unlikely to change significantly, such as topography, and others that may well be changed by neighbours, such as shading by obstructions. Having said that, architects often have the scope to intervene both with the topography and shading obstructions within the curtilage of their site. In general, the bigger the site, the greater is their freedom to do this.
