Link points to Internet Archive / others. Not hosted by InfraLens. Details
IS 7662:2000 (Part 1) is the Indian Standard (BIS) for recommendations for orientation of buildings, part 1: non-industrial buildings. This standard provides recommendations for the orientation of non-industrial buildings in India to improve indoor comfort and reduce energy consumption. It offers guidance on positioning buildings based on India's different climatic zones, considering solar radiation, prevailing wind directions, and rainfall. The core principle is to minimize heat gain in hot climates and maximize it in cold climates, while ensuring adequate natural ventilation and daylight.
Recommendations for orientation of buildings, Part 1: Non-industrial buildings
Overview
Status
Current
Usage level
Frequently Used
Domain
Architectural — Functional Requirements in Buildings
BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.
Practical Notes
! This is a recommendation, not a mandatory code. However, applying its principles is fundamental for climate-responsive and sustainable architecture.
! The 'ideal' orientation should always be balanced with site-specific constraints such as topography, access roads, surrounding buildings, and desired views.
! Use in conjunction with the National Building Code (SP 7) and local meteorological data for a comprehensive design approach.
Consolidated list per BIS. For the text of each amendment, refer to the BIS portal link above.
International Equivalents
Similar International Standards
CIBSE Guide A: 2015Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), UK
HighCurrent
Environmental Design
Provides comprehensive guidance on passive design, including solar orientation, shading, daylighting, and natural ventilation principles.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2019American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), USA
MediumCurrent
Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
Mandates energy performance where orientation is a key factor influencing prescriptive envelope requirements like WWR and SHGC.
ISO 17772-1:2017International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International
MediumCurrent
Energy performance of buildings — Indoor environmental quality — Part 1: Indoor environmental input parameters for design and assessment of energy performance of buildings
Defines the indoor environmental criteria (thermal, visual) that proper building orientation aims to achieve.
BCA Green Mark: 2021Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore
HighCurrent
Green Mark for Non-Residential Buildings
A rating system that heavily incentivizes good orientation through its criteria for facade performance (ETTV), natural ventilation, and daylighting.
Key Differences
≠IS 7662 is a purely recommendatory guide, whereas standards like ASHRAE 90.1 are often adopted as mandatory energy codes with prescriptive and performance-based compliance paths.
≠IS 7662 is based on five broad Indian climatic zones. International standards like ASHRAE 90.1 use a more detailed global climate zone classification (e.g., 8 zones with sub-types A, B, C).
≠IS 7662 is a standalone document on orientation. In international practice (e.g., CIBSE, ASHRAE), orientation principles are deeply integrated within a broader framework of building physics, HVAC design, and whole-building energy performance.
≠International standards quantitatively specify performance metrics like Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), U-value, and Visible Transmittance (VT) for different orientations, while IS 7662 provides more qualitative and descriptive advice.
Key Similarities
≈Both IS 7662 and international guides strongly recommend orienting the longer building axis along the East-West direction to minimize solar exposure on longer facades.
≈There is a shared emphasis on minimizing window areas on East and West facades, which receive harsh, low-angle sun, and maximizing glazing on the North (for diffuse light) and shaded South facades.
≈All standards recognize the critical role of external shading devices (overhangs, fins) to control solar heat gain, recommending different strategies for different facade orientations.
≈A common principle is the strategic placement of openings to facilitate natural cross-ventilation by capturing prevailing breezes, a key passive cooling strategy.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter
IS Value
International
Source
Primary Building Axis Orientation
Recommends long axis to be oriented in the East-West direction.
Fundamental passive solar design strategy is to orient the building with the long axis running east-west.
CIBSE Guide A: 2015
Window Placement (Heat Gain)
Major openings on North and South facades; minimize on East and West.
Prescriptive path limits window-to-wall ratio (WWR), often more stringently for East and West facades.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2019
Daylighting Source
North light is preferred as it is diffused and mostly glare-free.
North-facing glazing provides good quality, diffuse daylight without significant unwanted solar gain.
CIBSE Guide A: 2015
Shading for South Facade
Recommends horizontal shading devices (overhangs) for high summer sun.
A horizontal overhang is most effective on south-facing facades to block high-angle summer sun while admitting low-angle winter sun.
CIBSE Guide A: 2015
Natural Ventilation Strategy
Orient the building to take maximum advantage of prevailing winds through openings.
Locating openings on opposite sides of a space to promote cross-ventilation, with the inlet facing the prevailing summer wind.
CIBSE Guide A: 2015
Climatic Classification Basis
Based on 5 Indian climatic zones (Hot-Dry, Warm-Humid, Composite, etc.).
Based on 8 primary climate zones defined by heating and cooling degree days.
ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2019
Facade Performance Metric
Qualitative recommendations for shading and window placement.
Mandates specific Envelope Thermal Transfer Value (ETTV) for facades, directly influenced by orientation and shading.
BCA Green Mark: 2021
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use
Key Values4
Quick Reference Values
Ideal orientation of longest building axisEast-West to minimize solar gain
Recommended window placement in hot-dry climateNorth-facing walls, with shaded openings on the South
Angle of wall to be considered West-facingWithin 45 degrees of the West direction
Minimum desirable indoor air speed for comfort1 km/h
Tables & Referenced Sections
Key Tables
Table 1 - Climatic Zones and Their Characteristics
Table 2 - Sun Path Diagram Particulars for Different Latitudes
What is the best orientation for a building in a hot and dry climate like Jaipur?+
The longest axis should be East-West to minimize wall area on East and West facades. Main openings should ideally face North and South, with appropriate shading for South-facing windows (Clause 6.2).
How does this code classify India's climatic zones?+
It classifies them into five major zones: Hot-Dry, Warm-Humid, Composite, Temperate, and Cold, based on temperature, humidity, and rainfall (Clause 4 and Table 1).
For natural ventilation, which direction should openings face?+
Openings should be placed on opposite walls, aligned with the prevailing wind direction for the season when ventilation is most needed. This creates cross-ventilation (Clause 7).
Why is it important to have smaller East and West facing walls?+
To minimize exposure to low-angle morning and evening sun, which is intense, difficult to shade, and causes significant heat gain and glare (Clause 6.1).