Alex Depledge Resi
The woman arguably responsible for the steep rise in British house extensions tells us why skylights are practical as well as decorative
If there’s anyone who knows what’s popular in kitchen extensions, it’s Alex Depledge, the CEO and co-founder of Resi, the UK’s largest residential architectural platform. Since its launch in 2017, the company has been helping clients who want to build or extend their properties. In Depledge’s experience, incorporating skylights is not just a way of increasing a property’s market value, but also a way of ventilating a kitchen and illuminating functional cooking spaces below. ‘It’s really important to understand your household’s specific requirements, including how you’ll use the space, at what times of the day, what style and finish you want to achieve, what your budget is, and whether the renovation will add value to your home,’ she explains. ‘All of these factors will influence the size and location of the skylights you choose, as well as the type of opening mechanism and additional accessories that may be required.’
Expert advice
Depledge’s illuminating tips for choosing skylights
Placing skylights above kitchen worktops can provide convenient
ventilation. It’s often not possible to install side windows in an extension, which can limit natural passive ventilation. Also, when choosing the location of light sources in your kitchen, it pays to envision where you need it for practical purposes, like cooking.
Use skylights to invite light into hard-to-reach corners of your floorplan that are further from doors and windows. Extensions are creating large open-plan rooms, so think about illuminating the deepest parts of those spaces with all-important natural light.
Work with the geometry of your roof when placing skylights. This will allow you to maximise more of the sun’s path throughout the entire day. We sometimes have clients with north-facing extensions that have a more shaded orientation. To counter this potential lack of natural light, we would suggest installing a fully-glazed pitched roof that captures all the light available. It should be noted, however, that maximising glazing calls for maintenance, privacy and heat-loss considerations.