Designing for Winter: How Architecture Can Make You Love Cold, Rainy Days
When the temperature drops and the skies turn grey, most people instinctively reach for the heater and bunker down until spring. But what if your home was designed to not just withstand winter — but make it something to enjoy?
Smart architectural design can make even the coldest, wettest days feel like a pleasure, not a punishment. By using principles like passive solar design, clever window orientation, and thermal mass, we can create homes that are naturally warm, inviting, and energy-efficient — without relying on blasting the heater all day.
Here’s how architecture can make you fall in love with winter.
1. Passive Solar Design: Let the Sun Work for You
Passive solar design is all about using the sun’s energy to heat your home naturally — especially in winter when you need it most. In Perth and other parts of Australia, we’re lucky to still get plenty of sunny days during winter. With the right design, your home can capture and store that warmth.
Key strategies include:
Maximising north-facing windows to allow winter sunlight deep into living areas.
Minimising east and west glazing, which offer little winter warmth but increase summer heat.
Using eaves or pergolas that allow low winter sun in, but block high summer sun.
Positioning living areas and frequently used spaces on the northern side of the house, where they can benefit from natural warmth and light.
When done right, passive solar design reduces your energy bills and creates bright, comfortable spaces that make cold days feel cosy rather than bleak.
2. Window Orientation: Light, Warmth, and Views
Orientation isn’t just about warmth — it’s also about how you experience a space. Well-placed windows do double duty in winter: they let in sunshine and connect you to the outdoors without stepping into the cold.
A few principles we follow:
North-facing glazing is your best friend for free winter warmth.
Double-glazing or thermally broken window frames can significantly reduce heat loss.
Highlight windows or clerestory glazing can bring in light without compromising privacy or wall space.
Framing seasonal views, like misty mornings, windblown trees, or winter skies, brings nature into your home — without the cold.
Good orientation gives your home a sense of openness and comfort, even when it's wet and wild outside.
3. Thermal Mass: Store the Heat, Feel the Difference
Imagine a sunlit living room with a polished concrete floor that slowly soaks up warmth during the day — and then gently releases it back into the space as the sun goes down. That’s the magic of thermal mass.
Materials like concrete, brick, and stone are excellent at storing heat and helping regulate internal temperatures. When combined with passive solar design, thermal mass can reduce the need for artificial heating dramatically.
To be most effective:
Thermal mass should be located where it receives direct winter sunlight.
It should be insulated from the outside, so the stored warmth stays inside.
The space should be well-sealed and ventilated appropriately to avoid damp and drafts.
Think of thermal mass as a battery for heat — a quiet, passive way to keep your home comfortable even after the sun sets.
Make Winter a Feature, Not a Flaw
Great architecture doesn’t fight the seasons — it works with them. A home designed for winter living doesn’t just stay warm. It changes the way you feel about the season entirely.
Imagine reading a book in a sunlit nook while rain patters on the roof. Watching clouds roll in across the hills through expansive glass. Entertaining with mulled wine in a warm, open space that’s flooded with soft natural light. These are the moments good design makes possible.
Interested in Designing a Home You’ll Love All Year Round?
If you’re thinking about building or renovating and want a home that embraces every season — not just summer — we’d love to help. At Matthiessen Architects, we specialise in designs that make winter living feel like a luxury, not a chore.
Let’s make cold, rainy days your new favourite season.