In some climates it is better to warm the house and this means that lots of sunlight entering a building is good all year round. In other climates it is cold in winter but hot in summer, so designs must try to let lots of winter sunlight in, but somehow block it in summer, so as not to heat the inside of the building. In tropical regions the main concern is to keep heat and humidity from staying outside. Generally buildings are now oriented east-west, following the sun's path, with few windows in the north and south sides. Although windows in the north-south sides will still allow some light to enter, it is easier to insulate walls than windows.
Skylights are good examples of passive designs, acting as ceiling lights in the daytime.
In general the psychological hopes of the designers were dashed, with the gardens either unused or only frequented by dealers, but these blocks still get plenty of natural sunlight. In Berlin, long before this, apartment buildings were commonly designed in a square, with an inner courtyard. It was hoped at first that the inner courtyard, surrounded by only three or four stories of residences, would give people privacy and natural sunlight. However, poor orientation and no variation in height meant that while the front sections of the blocks were well-lit and warm, sunlight into the back sections was blocked on both sides, by the front part of the building, and by the apartment blocks they were back to back with. Soon the dim and cold back sections were relegated to low-income earners.