In my opinion, the most important thing to look at is drainage and water. A wet coop or run is a disease waiting to happen. Location and orientation should take this into account. They should be placed where water will drain away from them. Any roof should be sloped so water falls off and runs away from the coop and run, or use gutters and downspouts. You want to be able to enter the coop without wading through mud. You don’t want rainwater running off the roof to hit you as you are entering the coop.
The next thing to consider is ventilation and prevailing wind direction. It’s important that the coop have good ventilation but in colder climates you don’t want a breeze hitting the chickens directly when on the roost. You also don’t want the prevailing wind to blow rain into the coop. A lot of this depends on what the coop looks like. If you build a coop where one wall is open instead of solidly closed, that opening should face away from the prevailing wind.
The next thing I consider is the window or windows. You need enough light to be able to see in there to work and the chickens need to be able to find their way around. But you don’t want a security light or automobile lights to shine inside at night. You want it to get dark at night. Consider your climate too. Heat kills a lot more chickens than cold. If you live where the summers get really hot, you probably don’t want the windows where the hot afternoon sun shines inside heating the coop so look at the east and north sides for windows. Some people like a coop to be bright and sunny but my personal preference is for it to be darker and cooler. I just think they are calmer and more comfortable in shade than bright sun, especially in the coop.
Heat kills a lot more chickens than cold. A lot depends on what your coop looks like, how you build your nests, and your climate, but don’t put your nests where they will become ovens. That may mean put them on the north or east wall or in an area where they will be shaded. I built mine a little tall and with some ventilation holes up high so the heat doesn’t build up as much. And the wall they are against is in full shade.
I’m not sure why you are concerned about a prevailing wind hitting them when they are on the nest. When I envision a nest I think of something out of the weather, both wind and rain. Perhaps if you could explain why you are concerned about the nest and prevailing wind I could address that.
I don’t have a clue if you are building a tiny little elevated coop or a big walk-in coop. I have no idea what your climate is or if the coop is in shade or full sun. I don’t know what your property looks like or how the coop is situated. It’s hard to get real specific with all these unknowns. That’s why I’ve tried to tell you the things I’d consider instead of telling you how to do it. Good luck!
