ARCHITECT’S NOTEBOOK
‘Daylighting’ refers to the use of natural light in architecture, be it brilliant sunlight, or muted, shadowy light. For a room in a house to work well, it has to be well lit – get this wrong, and it will never feel right. humans are phototrophic, which m
Karen Newman illustrates how to make the most of natural light
Variation in light intensity is essential. Think of your house as having a personality: sometimes its demeanour is bright and happy, and at other times it is quieter and in need of refuge. Some rooms need brightening, and others need cooling and darkening – and some must be adaptable to include a little of both. Here are some points to consider when planning the light gradient in a build or renovation:
We are fortunate in the southern hemisphere to be able to optimise bright north light, but it is a mistaken assumption that every room in a house should bask in full light. A darker room is equally important. For example, a shaded courtyard next to a north-facing room offers respite when it gets too hot or bright [2].
In houses with lots of natural light, small living areas on the south side offer on hot days. This could be a beautiful wide passage with a bench that connects the northfacing bedrooms [3].
Often, the south-facing rooms are reserved for services. Some rooms are better dark and cocooning – a study that has only one access door, for example. Do not allow these rooms to spill out into other living areas that are better infused with light [4].
As much as it is important to create areas of refuge, it can be a challenge to bring light into darker areas that call for it. The centre of a big, square building often lacks light. In older, classic buildings, such as Victorian, living rooms were often built on the south side. If this is the case, you can create pools of light by installing skylights.
Some rooms need to have a range of light palettes – you have to think of artificial solutions that do not just rely on natural light and how you let it in (or shut it out). In smaller buildings, there may be rooms that have more than one function: you may want one to be bright and sunny for day-to-day living, but more cocooning on wintry nights. Blinds allow you to shift the light intensity instantly.
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