10 Statement-Making Skylights, Big and Small
Brighten rooms with natural light while adding a dose of creativity via a skylight that draws attention
John Hill
April 25, 2013
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor... More
Skylights offer the potential to improve any house: They bring natural light to rooms that might otherwise be dark; they frame views of the sky and clouds; they provide a focus in a space; and they can make a statement. This ideabook focuses on the latter, the statements that skylights can make through their design: their size and shape, the articulation of surfaces around them and how they are positioned in a space. I've focused on grazing skylights before, but here I'll look at a wider variety of them.
A skylight need not be large to make a statement, as this colorful opening above a bathroom in the Bridge House, designed by Joeb Moore, attests. The orange aperture reflects off the white walls below, so the sensation of color permeates the space. The color is almost twofold, given the mirror on one wall (visible at the bottom right).
Stepping off the elevator into the Skyhouse, designed by architect David Hotson and interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, brings you to an entry hall capped by a skylight. The orange elevator door punctuates the otherwise muted space that is bathed in light from above.
Skyhouse is located in lower Manhattan, so the skylight frames a nearby skyscraper, one that happens to be designed by Frank Gehry.
This Manhattan townhouse on Park Avenue was also designed by David Hotson. The light radiating down to this sculptural stair hints at the skylight that sits above it.
Like the space, the skylight is simple; its power is the result of its position relative to the stair. In general, stairs of all sorts are ideal for skylights — light can filter down to lower spaces, and operable skylights can be used to vent warm air in the summer months.
This remodeled kitchen by Rossington Architecture has skylights that effectively bring in natural light. Two openings can be seen in this photo: one above the stair and one above the kitchen.
Here is the skylight above the stair. It is a small opening, but the flaring of the white walls helps to increase the effect of the natural light entering the space.
The same can be said of the skylight over the kitchen; the ceiling opening is much larger than the skylight opening, so the effect is more pronounced than if they were both small. This makes sense in terms of maximizing natural light, but also in terms of keeping the skylight small for various reasons: structure, weight of glass, using a prefab unit, ease of installation and so forth.
With larger and larger kitchens, and the importance of them in daily life and entertaining (ever been to a party that didn't end up being centered in the kitchen?), they are ideal for skylights. Skylights can aid in lighting work surfaces and parts of the kitchen that might otherwise be dark. The view out the two windows in this kitchen is of trees that shade the space, but the skylight helps to bring in some sun to brighten it.
Here's a kitchen where the ribbon window and skylight work in concert. They have similar forms, and one works to illuminate countertops that run parallel to each other.
The location of this skylight — relative to the roof's ridge and the space below — gives some balance and centrality to the space. This seems appropriate for a home gym where yoga and potentially meditation would be practiced.
A pretty daring skylight is one placed underneath a pool. It's daring for various technical reasons, but also for the fact that one is being looked at from below while swimming. In addition to the statement that comes from watching swimmers like fish, the dappled effect of light being filtered into the space is wholly unique.
The skylight visible at the front of this house designed by Marina Rubina is an extension of a skinny window above the front door. Just as the window at the corner wraps from one side to the other, the skylight wraps from vertical to horizontal.
Here is a view inside the room with the skylight. The skylight is out of view on the left, but its effects are clearly apparent: The light coming down from the opening in the ceiling balances the window opposite and gives the person who sleeps on the right side of the bed a nice glimpse of sky.
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Feel free to email me highendsolutionssteve@gmail.com
I know this is an old ideabook, but what if you're in an area that gets a lot of snow? I've had 3 feet of snow on my roof all winter. Can you get heaters in the skylights to melt the snow?
Good question, one we get a lot. Snow loading is certainly available, we have certified ratings for skylights that can hold as much as 18 feet of wet snow. (certified with extreme safety factors). In the real world, your home does heat the glass (or dome) slightly which creates an 'igloo effect' which further adds strength. We have MANY skylights in high snow load areas, including Alaska. And if only a little bit of snow, you still get a nice glow from the skylight in the interior.