ASK AN EXPERT How to work with skylights

Q OUR living spaces are quite dark but we’re hemmed in by neighbours on both sides. Is there any way we can get more light in without a major extension?

A THE enlightening answer to a sombre situation might just come from above, according to architect Shaun Carter, of Carter Williamson Architects (pictured). Shaun says skylights can be an ideal fix for a dark or awkwardly designed space, but they have to be considered carefully.

“We do skylights all the time, but we like to think we do ‘skilful’ skylights,” he says.

“Too often skylights are just thrown at the problem.”

Australians today have a love affair with bright and breezy homes, however that hasn’t always been the case.

Shaun says older inner-city residences, which often butt up against one another on small blocks, are often in need of savvy light solutions that allow the sun’s rays in, but keep the neighbours’ gaze out.

Bringing an older home into the 21st century often means seeking out ways to draw in natural light. However, while skylights might be seen as an instant fix, Shaun says they can sometimes interfere with the form and flow of period architecture.

“If you are in a conservation area, you’d want to do a skylight on the rear climb of a roof line, which we’d probably sup- port”port,” he says.sas

“But then the next question is, are you interrupting a really beautiful ceiling?

“If you’re in a heritage home where the ceilings are original, but you’re worried about the darkness of the place, I think that’s really just an unfortunate outcome of buying a property of that age.

“I wouldn’t recommend taking out a heritage ceiling or putting a skylight into a roof line that was on a heritage building because that would probably diminish the heritage quality,” he says.

Shaun suggests that whether you live in a heritage area or not, you should first check if a skylightwould be permitted on your property.

“You almost certainly would require ada(development application) if you’re in a heritage conservation area, and I would consult a local architect in that instance,” he says.

“But if you’re not, you should still go online to check the Exempt and Complying Development Codes. That legislation tells you whether something is exempt froma DA.”

If you’re still unclear, ring your local council.

“The moral of the story is that you should always be sure what you’re doing is permitted,” he says.

“Otherwise, if you get the wrong neighbours and the wrong council you could be on the wrong end of an expensive decision.”

Shaun says if you have been given the go-ahead, the sky is almost the limit with design options and placement.

“After you get around whether it’s permissible or not, your only limits are structural,” he says.

“Glass is the type of material that only withholds so much, so you’ve got to be careful with the structure.

“You need to design the skylight so that you can stand on it,” Shaun says.

While you won’t be walking on the roof, the rule is in place to ensure safety during ongoing maintenance.

He says while some of his projects have gone down the custom-made route for skylights, many are retail units that can be bought off the shelf.

“The retail ones are usually double-glazed units, with or without blinds or venetian blinds in them to control the light. And with anything over head height we’d always specify an automatic unit that can open and close itself,” he says.