Natural light as the first and most important material of every room
6 min
The best thing about this
A modest north window and a large south window are not the same light in different quantities; they are different materials. North light is even, cool and never moves. South light is bright, warm and changes hourly. Deciding which one a room needs comes before deciding how big the window should be.
Creating Lasting Value
A window high in a wall throws light deep into a room; the same area of glass low in the wall lights the floor and little else. For a room deeper than about six metres the head height matters more than the width, which is why tall narrow openings frequently outperform wide low ones on the same budget.
Designed for Your Lifestyle and Chances
No amount of glazing rescues a room that is too deep for its window. As a working rule, useful daylight reaches about two and a half times the window head height. Beyond that line you are lighting with electricity whatever the brochure photograph appears to show.
Built Around Lifestyle and Opportunity
Two windows beat one. Light from a single direction models a room harshly and makes every face in it look flat. A second opening on a different wall — even a small one — removes the contrast and makes a space feel calm rather than merely bright.
Project Summary
Before you build, stand in the existing space at eight in the morning and again at six in the evening, and note where you naturally want to sit. That instinct is usually a better daylight model than any simulation, and it costs nothing to run.
Blogs
