Three Daylighting Design TipsApril 12, 2012 — 1,320 views
According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, daylighting is the controlled admission of natural light, such as direct sunlight and skylights, into a building to reduce the need for electric lighting and increase energy savings for sustainability. Integrating daylighting in a building’s design optimizes natural resources for the modern lifestyle.
Here are three design tips for daylighting:
1. Limit room depth. By keeping a room within 1.5-2 times window height, natural illumination levels will increase throughout the entire space. The creation of shadowed corners in the room will decrease.
2. Sizable windows. Choose to install windows on every exterior wall to allow for light to pass into the room, regardless of the time of day. The larger the opening, the greater chance an appropriate amount of natural light will enter the room.
3. Decrease glass opacity. Select a glaze for the windows that will allow rays to pass uninhibited. According to the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 0.35 glazing is ideal for most windows, but consider using .50 for larger windows and .25 for smaller punch windows.