Sculptural Skylights
Sculptural skylights are a regular occurring element in the Spatial Affairs Bureau design repertoire, both in new buildings and renovations, from modest homes through to much larger institutions.
Peter Culley’s understanding of light performance in restricted spaces comes from the study of light physics paired with experience in working with artists and art conservators in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond, USA and Dulwich Picture Gallery, London.
Skylights have the potential to work in two powerful and complimentary ways.
Firstly - by carefully considering location within the building, their scale relative to the interior space they serve, angle of glass slope, specification of the glass type and interior shaft geometry - they can bring clean and balanced natural light into spaces that may otherwise be undeserved.
Sometimes windows may not be possible at the perimeter, or their potential to effectively light a space is compromised by trees or buildings. Similarly in very ‘deep plan’ conditions, where a window - lit edge is too far away to be impactful, skylights can form a clear focus to the heart of the interior environment.
The secondary benefit is a crucial spatial one: because an upwards tunnel needs to be carved through the typically thick roof build - up and any other floors of the building above to reach the sky, the inclusion of a roof light creates a wonderful opportunity for sculpting the interior space and heightening what might otherwise be restricted or uninteresting floor to ceiling conditions.
In working this way, the quality and reach of the light is significantly extended.
It’s important to recognise that light from above is so much more efficient in illuminating a space than typically what can be gained at a vertical window face. A relatively small area of glass, in combination with the carefully considered geometry of the shaft below, will breathe life down into the space with subtle changes throughout the day and times of year.
Of course windows also provide views out as well as light, and so Spatial Affairs always searches to find the right balance of apertures in the building fabric – from above and at the edges - for the unique set of needs and spaces that each project circumstance brings.