Look to the sun for more natural light

Designing with light

Daylight is an essential element for any home, transforming spaces into bright, uplifting environments. By maximizing natural light, you can create a more inviting atmosphere, reduce reliance on artificial lighting, and enhance both mood and energy efficiency. Embracing this free natural resource not only boosts your home's aesthetic appeal but also promotes a healthier living space.

Why is daylight important?

In the UK, daylight is deemed so important that people have a right to natural light their homes and can take legal action if any nearby buildings threaten their access to it. When councils determine planning applications, one critical factor is if the proposed new building will reduce daylight for neighbouring properties.

Daylight plays a pivotal role in everyday life, providing illumination for everyday activities such as cooking or reading without the constant need to switch on electric lights. Beyond its functional role, natural light also has a massive impact on our mental health. As David Pearson, architect-planner and author of The Natural House, explains: “Over the millennia, we have become attuned and adapted to the sun’s daily and seasonal cycles; our bodies’ circadian rhythms and inner biological clocks are timed to follow these cycles of light and dark. We wake with the morning light, are most active when the sun is high in the sky and the light brightest and rest and sleep as day slips into dusk and then night.”

The quality of light

Natural light is dynamic and ever-changing, offering subtle shifts in intensity and colour quality throughout the day and across the seasons. It can be gently filtered through trees, softened by morning mist, or intensely bright in a clear, cloudless sky. “We need to be more aware of these subtle varieties and qualities and try to introduce them into our homes,” suggests Pearson. Natural light connects your home to the outdoors.

There are three main types of natural light:

• Sunlight: a direct beam of light that shines straight through a window is the strongest, causing shadows and glare. It is an intense light but will vary depending on the time of day and year and sky conditions. Direct sunlight is perfect for brightening a space and providing warmth but requires careful planning to avoid overheating.
• Reflected light: this is light bouncing off surfaces outside or inside the room. Depending on the brightness and texture of the surface, the light will probably be muted and tinted the colour of the reflected surface.
  It is less directional than direct sunlight.
• Diffused light: light that passes through filters such as blinds, screens or frosted glass. It is soft and almost shadowless.

“You should vary the amount and quality of light according to the needs of each space,” suggests Pearson.  Use direct sunlight for areas like kitchens, stairs, offices and sunrooms where bright light is welcome. Highlight focal points and add dramatic contrasts too, with small windows or shafts of light.  Meanwhile living areas benefit from reflected and diffused lighting, creating a more relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.

Building orientation

The orientation of your home in relation to the sun significantly impacts how much sunlight and reflected light it receives. For east facing rooms light is brightest first thing in the morning with long shadows and minimal sunlight later in the day. This could be ideal for a kitchen-diner or bedroom. South-facing spaces enjoy consistent light throughout the day, perfect for living spaces. West-facing rooms, bask in warm, late-afternoon light while north-facing rooms generally have a colder, more neutral light, away from direct sunlight. Artists often choose a north-facing studio for this light as colours are truer.

Maximising sunlight

Glazing is key to maximising natural light.