Skylight Designs

SKYROOF DESIGNS

Open skylights were used in ancient Roman Architecture such as temples. Glazed ‘closed’ skylights have been in use since the Industrial revolution and have over the years developed due to the advancement of mass production of glass and can now be used in many cases and contexts.

Skylights are a light transmitting structure that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting purposes. Skylights are widely used in designing daylighting for residential and commercial buildings. Nowadays Skylights are not just limited to just limited to public and commercial buildings but can also be found in homes. Skylights can completely change the feel of a room or space. They just don’t let in more natural light but also create a much more open feeling of space. When glass is added to a low ceiling it makes it feel higher, seeing the sky through the high ceiling gives an illusion of actually being in the outdoor space. Top-lighting (Skylights) work well with sidelighting (windows) to maximize daylighting. Skylights have been proven to significantly reduce electrical lighting use in buildings, saving energy, lowering costs and thereby reducing environmental impacts. Even on days when it is overcast, top-lighting from skylights is three to ten times more efficient than side-lighting. A study has also concluded that students have significantly higher test scores in classrooms that optimize daylighting, than classrooms that do not. Other studies have also shown that daylight

positively affects physiological and psychological well-being, which can increase productivity in many contexts, such as sales in retail spaces and not to mention the significant reduction in total energy costs.