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Project-specific shadow diagrams and solar access documentation for planning assessment, council submission and architectural design coordination.
For architects, building designers, planners and developers assessing overshadowing, neighbouring amenity and the solar impact of proposed built form, supported where relevant by Urbanfinity spatial data and modelling.
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Shadow diagrams are visual studies showing how shadows fall across a site, building or neighbouring property at selected times of the day and year. They are commonly used to assess solar access, overshadowing, site orientation and the potential effect of a proposed development on surrounding spaces.
A shadow study may compare existing and proposed conditions to show how a new building, extension or altered form changes sunlight access. This can help determine whether nearby windows, private open space, balconies, gardens, communal areas or public spaces may receive additional shade.
Shadow diagrams can support development applications, design review and early architectural decision-making. They also help reveal how a project responds to seasonal sun movement, façade shading, passive solar design and the wider solar behaviour of the site.
For development applications, planning assessment and design review where solar access or overshadowing needs to be demonstrated clearly.
How shadows move across buildings, neighbouring sites, outdoor areas, windows, façades and shared spaces at nominated times.
Shadow diagrams show where shade falls, while Sun Eye Diagrams examine the spatial relationship between the sun, the building and surrounding obstructions.
Knowledge Navigation
Use this guide to explore shadow diagrams, solar access, overshadowing, seasonal sun behaviour, site orientation and their role within planning and environmental design.
Foundations
Understand what shadow diagrams are and how they reveal sunlight and shadow behaviour across a development site.
Planning Need
Explore when shadow studies may be requested for development applications, planning assessment or design review.
Solar Access
See how sunlight access and overshadowing can affect buildings, private open space and neighbouring properties.
Planning Support
Understand how shadow studies can support architects, planners, councils and development assessment teams.
Seasonal Sun
Explore why winter, summer and equinox shadows change in direction, length and intensity throughout the year.
Site Context
See how site angle, building form, terrain and neighbouring development shape the solar response.
Diagram Types
Review bird’s-eye, three-dimensional perspective, elevation and site-based shadow study formats.
Building Performance
Understand how shadow diagrams relate to daylight modelling, thermal comfort and passive environmental design.
Related Knowledge
Planning and Solar Access
Shadow diagrams may be required when a proposed building, extension or development has the potential to affect solar access to neighbouring properties, private open space, windows, balconies, gardens, communal areas or public spaces. They are commonly used in development applications and planning submissions where overshadowing needs to be clearly understood.
In many Australian residential and commercial projects, shadow diagrams help show how sunlight conditions change between the existing site and the proposed design. This can be especially important where building height, setbacks, orientation, roof form or neighbouring proximity may influence the amount of sunlight reaching nearby spaces.
The exact requirements depend on the project location, planning pathway and assessment authority. Some projects may need shadow studies at specific times of day or key seasonal dates, while others may require a broader comparison of existing and proposed overshadowing impacts.
Shadow diagrams are often prepared to support development applications where council or planning teams need to understand overshadowing impacts.
They help show whether a proposal may affect sunlight to adjoining dwellings, open spaces, windows, gardens or balconies.
Early shadow studies can help architects test building form, setbacks, rooflines and solar response before the design is finalised.
Next in this guide: Understanding Solar Access and Overshadowing · Related: Sun Eye Diagrams
Solar Access and Overshadowing
Solar access refers to the ability of a building, window, garden, balcony, courtyard, communal area or public space to receive direct sunlight. Overshadowing occurs when another building, structure or site element blocks that sunlight for part of the day or year.
This matters because sunlight affects amenity, daylight access, passive heating, outdoor usability and the environmental quality of residential and commercial spaces. In denser areas, solar access also becomes part of the relationship between neighbouring buildings, setbacks, building height and urban form.
Shadow diagrams can also help identify whether overshadowing may affect rooftop solar access, solar panels or future renewable energy opportunities, particularly where neighbouring buildings, roof forms or upper-level additions change the way sunlight reaches a site.
Shadow diagrams make these relationships visible. They help project teams understand where sunlight is maintained, where additional shade is created, and whether the proposed design responds appropriately to its site context.
Whether neighbouring windows, outdoor areas or private open spaces may receive less direct sunlight after a proposed development is built.
How building height, setbacks, roof forms, balconies and façade elements influence the movement of shadow across the site.
Whether early design changes may improve solar access before planning, coordination or environmental performance issues become harder to resolve.
How solar access relates to wider design considerations such as daylight, thermal comfort, passive solar design and façade shading.
Next in this guide: Shadow Diagrams for Development Applications · Related: Daylight Modelling · Thermal Comfort Modelling
Development Applications
Shadow diagrams are commonly prepared for development applications where a proposed building may affect sunlight access to neighbouring properties, private open space, windows, balconies, communal areas or the public domain. They help translate solar impact into a clear visual format that can be reviewed by architects, planners, councils and assessment teams.
A development shadow study will often compare existing and proposed conditions. This allows the project team to show how the new building form changes shadow behaviour across the site and surrounding context, especially at key assessment times or seasonal dates.
The purpose is not only to satisfy a planning request. A clear shadow diagram package can help identify whether the design is creating avoidable overshadowing, whether neighbouring amenity is being maintained, and whether further design refinement may improve the project’s relationship with its site.
Shows how shadows currently fall across the site and neighbouring areas before the proposed works are introduced.
Shows how the proposed building, extension or development changes the pattern of shadow across the site.
Diagrams may be prepared for selected times of day or seasonal dates depending on the planning pathway.
Helps clarify whether sunlight access to surrounding windows, open spaces or public areas may be affected.
Next in this guide: Seasonal Sun Behaviour and Architectural Response · Related: BASIX · BESS Assessments
Seasonal Sun Behaviour
The sun does not move through the sky in the same way throughout the year. In winter, the sun sits lower and shadows become longer. In summer, the sun is higher and shadows are usually shorter and more concentrated. During the equinox periods, shadow behaviour sits between these seasonal extremes.
Shadow diagrams help translate this seasonal movement into architectural information. They show how building height, setbacks, roof form, balconies, walls and façade depth influence the way sunlight reaches a site, neighbouring properties and outdoor areas.
For design teams, this can support better decisions about building massing, window placement, shading systems, outdoor space planning and passive solar response. A building that understands the movement of the sun can often respond more calmly to its environment.
Lower sun angles usually create longer shadows, making winter a key period for understanding solar access and overshadowing.
Equinox studies can help show intermediate shadow behaviour between the extremes of summer and winter.
Higher sun angles often create shorter shadows, but can still influence façade exposure, shading design and outdoor comfort.
Next in this guide: Shadow Diagrams and Site Orientation · Related: Sun Eye Diagrams · Passive House
Site Orientation
Site orientation has a direct influence on shadow behaviour. A north-facing, south-facing, east-facing or west-facing site will receive sunlight differently throughout the day and year, and the same building form may create very different overshadowing outcomes depending on how it sits within the site.
Shadow diagrams help reveal these orientation relationships. They can show how the position of a proposed building affects sunlight to adjoining properties, how shadows move across private open space, and whether the design is responding well to the site’s solar opportunities and constraints.
This makes shadow analysis useful not only for planning documentation, but also for early design thinking. Orientation, massing, setbacks, roof form, window placement and outdoor spaces can all be tested more clearly when sunlight behaviour is made visible.
A well-oriented building can use sunlight more intelligently, protect important outdoor areas and reduce avoidable overshadowing. Shadow diagrams help the design team see whether the proposed form is working with the site or against it.
Solar access is rarely only about one building. Shadow studies help clarify how a proposal relates to adjoining dwellings, nearby structures, existing vegetation, site slope and the wider pattern of surrounding development.
Next in this guide: Residential and Commercial Applications · Related: Sun Eye Diagrams · NatHERS
Project Applications
Shadow diagrams can be useful across a wide range of residential, commercial and mixed-use projects. They are commonly prepared for new homes, alterations and additions, dual occupancies, townhouses, apartment buildings, commercial buildings and larger development applications where sunlight access or overshadowing needs to be understood.
For residential projects, shadow studies often focus on neighbouring dwellings, private open space, living room windows, balconies, courtyards, gardens and solar access to adjoining lots. These diagrams can help clarify how the proposed form affects amenity and whether the design responds carefully to its surrounding context.
Shadow behaviour can also affect how gardens, landscaped areas, courtyards, outdoor dining zones, communal spaces and open areas are used throughout the day and year.
For commercial and mixed-use projects, shadow analysis may also consider street interfaces, public domain areas, communal open space, neighbouring commercial buildings, podium forms, upper-level setbacks and the environmental quality of shared outdoor spaces.
Homes, extensions, dual occupancies, townhouses and apartment projects may need shadow diagrams to assess sunlight access, neighbouring amenity and outdoor space impacts.
Commercial buildings may use shadow studies to understand façade exposure, public domain impacts, neighbouring interfaces and broader site relationships.
Larger developments often need clearer analysis of building separation, upper-level massing, communal spaces, street edges and surrounding urban form.
Next in this guide: Common Types of Shadow Diagrams · Related: BESS Assessments · Section J
Diagram Types
Shadow diagrams can be prepared in several formats depending on the project type, site context, planning pathway and level of visual explanation required.
Bird’s eye shadow diagrams show the site from above, making it easier to understand how shadows move across neighbouring lots, outdoor spaces, building footprints and surrounding context.
3D perspective diagrams help communicate shadow behaviour in a more spatial way, showing the relationship between building form, massing, adjoining properties and sunlight movement.
Elevation shadow diagrams show how sunlight and shade interact with building faces, façades, windows, screens, overhangs and vertical surfaces.
Site-based overshadowing studies focus on the practical impact of shadow across neighbouring land, private open space, communal areas, public spaces and sensitive solar access zones.
The most suitable format depends on what the project needs to explain. A planning submission may require clear plan-based comparison diagrams, while a design team may benefit from additional three-dimensional views that show how building massing, façades and neighbouring structures affect sunlight behaviour.
Next in this guide: What Is Included in a Shadow Diagram Package? · Related: Development Applications · Sun Eye Diagrams
Shadow Study Documentation
A shadow diagram package should make sunlight behaviour clear enough for design coordination, planning review and project decision-making.
The contents of a shadow diagram package depend on the project type, available drawings, site conditions and planning requirements. Some projects may only need a straightforward comparison of existing and proposed shadow conditions, while others may require a more detailed study of neighbouring properties, private open space, public areas or building façades.
A clear package should help the project team understand where shadows fall, when they occur and which parts of the site or surrounding context may be affected. This makes the diagrams easier to use during design review, development application preparation and communication with assessment teams.
These show the current shadow conditions on and around the site before the proposed building, extension or development is introduced.
These show how the proposed building form changes shadow behaviour across the site, neighbouring properties or relevant assessment areas.
Diagrams may be prepared for selected dates and times, often based on planning requirements, seasonal solar behaviour or project-specific review needs.
A useful study should show enough surrounding context to understand how shadows affect adjoining land, open spaces, buildings or sensitive solar access areas.
Where required, comparison views help clarify the difference between existing and proposed overshadowing in a simple visual sequence.
Some packages include brief notes explaining the assessment basis, drawing assumptions, selected times or relevant design considerations.
The stronger the input drawings and site information, the clearer the final shadow study can be. Architectural plans, elevations, site survey information and surrounding context are often important for preparing diagrams that are useful to both the design team and the assessment process.
Next in this guide: Urban Form, Setbacks and Neighbour Relationships · Related: Common Types of Shadow Diagrams
Shadow Study Process
Shadow diagrams are usually prepared by combining project drawings, site context and digital modelling to simulate how sunlight and shadow move across a site.
The process begins with understanding the proposed building form, surrounding context and the purpose of the shadow study. Depending on the project, this may involve reviewing architectural plans, elevations, roof forms, survey information, neighbouring buildings and the assessment requirements for the development application or planning pathway.
Once the relevant information is assembled, the project and surrounding context can be modelled so that shadows can be simulated at selected dates and times. The final diagrams are then prepared in a clear format that helps the design team, planner or assessment authority understand the expected shadow impacts.
The proposed building form is modelled using the available architectural drawings, including plans, elevations, roof forms and relevant building heights.
Surrounding buildings, site boundaries, neighbouring properties, outdoor areas and other relevant context are included where needed to understand overshadowing impacts.
Shadows are simulated for selected times of day and seasonal dates, such as winter solstice, summer solstice or other project-specific assessment periods.
The final shadow diagram package presents the expected shadow impacts in a clear visual sequence, with supporting notes where required.
The level of modelling detail depends on the project scope. Some projects need simple plan-based diagrams, while others benefit from three-dimensional views, context mapping or more detailed comparison studies between existing and proposed conditions.
For projects that require deeper site context, built-form analysis or urban modelling, Certified Energy draws on Urbanfinity Consulting’s spatial data and visualisation capability. This helps translate complex building, shadow and site information into clear planning documentation for design teams, councils and assessment pathways.
Next in this guide: Urban Form, Setbacks and Neighbour Relationships · Related: What Is Included in a Shadow Diagram Package?
Urban Form and Site Relationships
Taller building forms can extend shadows further across neighbouring sites, especially during lower winter sun periods.
Changes to setbacks, building separation and upper-level form can influence whether sunlight is maintained to adjoining spaces.
Shadow studies help clarify impacts on nearby windows, private open space, courtyards, balconies and shared outdoor areas.
Shadow diagrams are especially important where building height, density or proximity to neighbouring sites may affect solar access. In these situations, small changes in massing, setbacks, roof form or upper-level articulation can significantly alter the way shadows move across adjoining properties.
A shadow study can help clarify whether overshadowing is caused by the overall building envelope, a particular wall, a roof element, a balcony, a parapet or a specific part of the proposed form. This makes it easier for architects and planning teams to respond with targeted design changes rather than broad assumptions.
Shadow behaviour can also affect how gardens, landscaped areas, courtyards, outdoor dining zones, communal spaces and open areas are used throughout the day and year.
In urban design, shadow behaviour is also part of the relationship between buildings. It affects how streets feel, how courtyards function, how communal spaces are used and how sunlight is shared within denser environments.
Next in this guide: Façade Shading and Passive Environmental Response · Related: Development Applications · Daylight Modelling
Façade and Passive Response
Shadow diagrams can also support the design of façades, shading systems and passive environmental response. The way sunlight reaches a building face can influence heat gain, glare, daylight quality, outdoor comfort and the way internal spaces perform throughout the day.
Architectural elements such as deep reveals, balconies, screens, awnings, pergolas, roof overhangs and façade articulation can all shape the balance between sunlight and shade. Shadow analysis helps make these effects visible before construction, allowing the design team to refine the building’s environmental behaviour.
This is where shadow studies connect with broader building performance thinking. They can inform passive solar design, daylight strategy, thermal comfort and façade performance, especially when used alongside other environmental analysis tools.
Shadow studies can help identify where direct sunlight may increase heat gain across façades, glazing and outdoor surfaces.
Screens, overhangs, awnings and façade depth can be tested for how they modify sunlight and shade at different times.
Managing shade can help balance useful daylight with glare control, especially for façades exposed to strong sun.
A clearer understanding of shadow behaviour can support passive solar design before mechanical systems become the primary response.
Next in this guide: Relationship to Daylight Modelling and Thermal Comfort · Related: Daylight Modelling · Thermal Comfort Modelling · Passive House
Building Performance Connections
Shadow diagrams, daylight modelling and thermal comfort analysis are closely related, but they do not assess the same thing. Shadow diagrams show where direct shadows fall at selected times. Daylight modelling examines the quality, quantity and distribution of natural light. Thermal comfort analysis considers how environmental conditions affect the comfort of people inside or around a building.
A shadow study often provides the first visible layer of solar-response information. It helps the design team understand how building form, orientation, neighbouring context and seasonal sun movement may influence daylight access, glare, solar gain and passive heating.
When used together, these forms of analysis can support more considered decisions about façades, windows, shading systems, outdoor spaces and internal comfort. They help connect planning documentation with broader environmental performance thinking.
Show where shadows fall across a site, neighbouring properties, façades or outdoor spaces at selected dates and times.
Assesses the amount, quality and distribution of natural light within buildings, rooms, workspaces and shared environments.
Considers how temperature, radiant heat, solar exposure, air movement and building design affect occupant comfort.
Next in this guide: Cost and Time Considerations · Related: Daylight Modelling · Thermal Comfort Modelling
Project Scope and Timing
The cost and timing of shadow diagrams depends on the type of project, the available drawings, the level of surrounding context required and the complexity of the shadow study. A simple residential project may be relatively straightforward, while a multi-residential, mixed-use or urban infill development may require a more detailed package.
Timing is also influenced by the quality of the information provided at the start of the assessment. Architectural drawings, site surveys, elevations, roof plans, neighbouring context and any planning requirements can all affect how quickly a clear and useful shadow diagram package can be prepared.
If a project is responding to a council request, design review issue or planning deadline, it is useful to clarify the required dates, times, assessment areas and drawing format as early as possible. This helps reduce rework and keeps the shadow study aligned with the planning pathway.
Homes, extensions, townhouses, apartments and commercial buildings can require different levels of shadow analysis.
Clear plans, elevations, roof information, surveys and site context can help the assessment move more efficiently.
Existing, proposed, comparison, bird’s eye, perspective or elevation views may affect the overall scope.
Council requests, development application requirements and design review comments can shape the required level of detail.
To help prepare a shadow diagram quote or assessment, it is useful to provide the project address, architectural drawings, survey information if available, the reason the diagrams are needed, any council or planning request, and the required submission timing.
Next in this guide: Architectural Design Team Coordination · Related: What Is Included in a Shadow Diagram Package?
Project Inputs
The right project information helps make shadow diagrams clearer, more accurate and easier to align with the planning pathway.
To prepare a shadow diagram, the most useful starting points are usually the project survey and architectural drawings prepared for the development application or design submission. These may include site plans, floor plans, elevations, roof plans, boundary information and relevant neighbouring context.
Files may be supplied in common drawing formats such as PDF or DWG, depending on what is available. If the full drawing set is not yet available, Certified Energy can still review the project information and advise what is needed to prepare a useful shadow study.
It is also helpful to provide the project address, the reason the shadow diagrams are required, any council or planning request, and the required submission timing.
A site survey can help confirm boundaries, levels, existing structures and surrounding context.
Plans, elevations, sections and roof information help define the proposed building form.
Information about nearby buildings, open space, windows or sensitive areas may be needed where overshadowing impacts are being assessed.
Council comments, DA requirements or planning notes help confirm the required dates, times and assessment focus.
Design Coordination
Shadow diagrams are most useful when they are integrated into the design process rather than treated as a final compliance item. Early analysis can help architects test height, setbacks, massing, orientation, roof form and façade response before the design becomes difficult to change.
For project teams, a shadow study can help clarify whether overshadowing concerns are likely to be minor, whether design refinement may be needed, or whether a more detailed solar access review should be considered. This can be especially valuable before lodging a development application or responding to planning feedback.
Shadow diagrams may be used by architects, building designers, planners, landscape architects, drafting teams, developers and, in some cases, planning or legal review processes where solar access impacts need to be clearly understood.
Certified Energy works with architects, planners, builders and development teams to prepare shadow studies that are clear, technically useful and aligned with the broader environmental performance of the project.
During early massing studies, before building form, setbacks and upper-level articulation are fully resolved.
When the project needs to understand solar access impacts before lodging a development application.
When council, planning consultants or assessment teams request clearer overshadowing information.
When shadow behaviour needs to be considered alongside daylight, thermal comfort, façade performance or passive solar design.
Next in this guide: Future Environmental Building Response · Related: Daylight Modelling · Thermal Comfort Modelling
Environmental Building Response
As buildings become more environmentally responsive, shadow diagrams are likely to form part of a broader design intelligence process. Solar access is no longer only a planning issue. It is also connected to liveability, comfort, passive design, energy use, daylight quality, urban density and the way buildings behave over time.
A shadow study helps project teams see how architecture participates in its site. It shows how a building gives shade, receives sunlight, protects neighbouring amenity and responds to the changing position of the sun throughout the year.
In this sense, shadow diagrams belong within a larger environmental design ecosystem. They connect site orientation, façade response, daylight access, passive solar design and urban form into one visible layer of building performance.
Shadow analysis can help reveal environmental behaviour before the project becomes defined only by approval requirements.
Understanding sunlight and shade early can reduce the need for later corrective measures around glare, heat gain or poor daylight access.
A more responsive building begins with a clearer understanding of its orientation, surrounding context and seasonal solar conditions.
Shadow diagrams sit naturally alongside Sun Eye Diagrams, Daylight Modelling, Thermal Comfort Modelling and passive environmental design. Together, these services help project teams understand how sunlight, shade, daylight and comfort interact across the life of a building.
Next in this guide: Shadow Diagrams FAQ · Related: Passive House
Frequently Asked Questions
Shadow Diagrams are used to show how shadows fall from existing or proposed buildings at selected times of day and year. They help assess solar access, overshadowing, site orientation and the impact of a development on neighbouring properties, outdoor spaces or public areas.
Shadow Diagrams may be required for a development application if the proposed works could affect sunlight access to neighbouring properties, private open space, windows, balconies, communal areas or public spaces. Requirements depend on the project type, location and relevant planning pathway.
Shadow Diagrams are the visual drawings or studies that show where shadows fall. Solar access analysis is the broader assessment of how much sunlight reaches a site, building, window, outdoor area or neighbouring property. Shadow Diagrams often form part of a solar access assessment.
Shadow Diagrams show where shadows fall from buildings or site elements at selected times. Sun Eye Diagrams are more focused on sun path, solar angles and how sunlight reaches a particular point or building surface. The two can work together when a project needs a clearer understanding of solar behaviour.
Shadow Diagrams can show different seasonal conditions depending on the project requirements. Winter studies are common because the sun is lower and shadows are longer, but summer and equinox studies may also be useful for understanding broader solar behaviour.
The required inputs usually depend on the project, but useful information may include architectural plans, elevations, roof plans, site survey information, neighbouring context, the project address and any planning or council request that explains the required Shadow Diagram scope.
Yes. When used early, Shadow Diagrams can help architects test massing, setbacks, roof forms, façade depth, window placement and outdoor spaces before the design is finalised. They can reveal where small changes may reduce overshadowing or improve solar access.
No. Shadow Diagrams may be used for residential, commercial, mixed-use, institutional and urban development projects. They are particularly useful where building form, height, density or proximity to neighbours may affect surrounding sunlight conditions.
Related Knowledge
Shadow diagrams sit within a wider environmental design ecosystem that includes solar access, daylight, comfort, energy performance and passive building response.
Understand sun path, solar angles and how sunlight reaches a specific point, façade or building surface across the year.
Explore how natural light is distributed through buildings, rooms, workspaces and shared environments.
Understand how sunlight, shading, temperature, air movement and building design affect comfort.
Learn how comfort, airtightness, insulation, solar control and energy performance work together in high-performance buildings.
See how sustainable design outcomes are considered for Victorian planning pathways and development applications.
Understand commercial building energy efficiency requirements and how building envelope decisions affect performance.
These related knowledge areas help place shadow diagrams within a broader building performance system. Solar access, daylight quality, thermal comfort, façade response and passive design are often considered separately, but they all describe how a building interacts with light, heat, shade and its surrounding environment.
Final step: Discuss a Shadow Diagram Project · Return to: Knowledge Navigation
Project Review
Send the available plans, site information and relevant planning requirements for an initial review. Certified Energy can help determine whether shadow diagrams, overshadowing analysis or a broader solar access assessment is most appropriate for the project.
Early review can help architects, planners, builders and project teams understand sunlight behaviour before design, planning and environmental performance decisions become more difficult to resolve.
Last reviewed: June 2026. This page is maintained by Certified Energy as part of its Shadow Diagrams Knowledge Hub.
