whole house
With large, open plans — kitchen, dining and living spaces sans dividing walls — it's often necessary to find creative ways to bring natural light to the parts most removed from the exterior walls. Light from a clerestory window serves this kitchen, balancing the light that comes from the side (which would be behind us in this photo).
The design of louvers, screens and other types of shades should take exposure into account: Which direction does the window face? Shades for SOUTH side should be horizontal to address the high sun, but WEST side should be vertical to deal with the low sun as it moves on its horizontal course across the sky.
Borrowing light — bringing light from one space to another through openings in walls or through translucent surfaces — is best achieved through clerestories, for these high openings still allow walls to be used with furniture. It's worth taking a look at the bathroom on the other side of the wall to see how the borrowing benefits both spaces.
Like hallways, stairs can sometimes be buried within a plan or have no windows. These vertical spaces are great for windows and skylights, since light can filter into adjacent spaces. This example shows not only the benefits of the window and skylight, but also that the room on the right is borrowing light from the stair and hall via clerestory windows. The chimney effect can draw up warm air through operable skylights (more on that in a future Ideabook on passive cooling).
to the lake! rooms laid out in succession from front to back. Simple and authentic materials.
Q