Designing With Daylight

Daylight is the first thing we draw. Before we decide what a room looks like, we work out where the sun will be at breakfast in January and at dinner in July.

Start with the section

Plans show where walls go; sections show where light goes. A room that is deeper than about twice its ceiling height will need artificial light by mid-afternoon, so we test depth against height early.

Borrow light

Clerestories, internal glazing and pale floors move light to places a window can't reach.

• North light for studios and workrooms
• East light for kitchens and bedrooms
• Shaded west light for living rooms

A well-lit room needs fewer lamps, less heating and, oddly, less furniture.