A Bigger Opening Is Not Automatically a Brighter Room When a room feels dark, making the window larger seems like the most logical response. More glass should mean more daylight. In some buildings, that is exactly what happens. But the size of an opening is only one part of the daylight equation, and increasing it […]
Tag Archives: natural light
11
Sep
Sep
Open-Plan and Light Are Not the Same Thing When a house feels dark, removing internal walls can seem like an obvious solution. Combine the kitchen, dining room and living space, the reasoning goes, and daylight will be able to move more freely through the plan. Sometimes this works extremely well. But openness and daylight are […]
02
Sep
Sep
Glass Is Not the Architecture — It Serves the Architecture Large areas of glass have become closely associated with contemporary residential architecture. It is easy to understand why. Glazing can bring daylight deep into a home, create a stronger relationship with the landscape and give rooms a sense of openness that would be difficult to […]
02
Sep
Sep
Why Open-Plan Living Is Being Reconsidered Open-plan living transformed the way modern homes were designed because it answered several problems at once. Removing internal walls could bring kitchens, dining areas and living rooms together, allow daylight to travel further through a floor plan and create a greater sense of space within an existing footprint. In […]
24
Aug
Aug
The Difference Between Openness and Exposure Large areas of glass can make a room feel extraordinarily open. Daylight reaches further inside. The garden becomes part of the interior experience. Long views can make the room feel larger than its physical boundaries suggest. But there is a point where openness can become exposure. The difference is […]
21
Aug
Aug
Why Winter Light Behaves So Differently in the UK Winter does not simply give a UK home fewer hours of summer-style light. The angle, duration and availability of sunlight all change. During winter, the sun remains much lower in the sky and the days become considerably shorter. That changes both which elevations receive direct sunlight […]
13
Aug
Aug
Daylight From Above Behaves Differently Daylight entering through a roof does not behave in quite the same way as daylight entering through a wall. A conventional window creates an outward relationship, connecting the interior with a garden, street or landscape beyond. Its view is predominantly towards the horizon. A rooflight turns that relationship upwards, introducing […]
21
Jul
Jul
Character Is More Than Original Features When people talk about preserving the character of a period home, the conversation often centres on individual features. Original sash windows, decorative cornices, fireplaces and timber floorboards are all seen as elements that define the building’s identity. While these details undoubtedly contribute to its appeal, architectural character is something […]
14
Jul
Jul
Why Windows Often Receive Too Much—and Too Little—Attention Few elements of a home renovation attract as much attention as new windows. They are among the most visible investments homeowners make, they can transform the appearance of a property and they are frequently promoted as a solution to rising energy costs. At the same time, their […]
14
Jul
Jul
Why Overheating Has Become a Modern Design Challenge For many years, conversations about windows centred on one question: how can we keep more heat inside the home during winter? That remains an important consideration, particularly as homeowners continue to look for ways to improve comfort and reduce energy consumption. Yet as building design has evolved […]
03
Jul
Jul
Why Natural Light Is Never Just About Glass When people imagine a bright, welcoming room, they often focus on the size of the windows or the amount of glazing. While glass undoubtedly plays a central role in bringing daylight indoors, it is only part of the story. The frame surrounding that glass has an equally […]
25
Jun
Jun
Decision #1: Designing Rooms Before Considering Natural Light One of the earliest decisions in any renovation project concerns the internal arrangement of the home. Rooms are allocated, walls are repositioned and layouts are refined to accommodate modern living. Kitchens become more open, living spaces expand and extensions are designed to improve the connection between the […]