Bring More Than Daylight Into Your Homes

To state the obvious, windows provide a home with daylight. The well-designed home of today, however, takes more than just lighting into account through the placement and selection of its wood windows.

Daylighting is important, of course. Studies show that natural daylight is a significant factor to the well-being of those who inhabit homes. Indications are that those who are deprived of natural light can be subject to headaches, fatigue, faintness and can even become ill.

As window technology has evolved, it has become possible to bring ever more daylight into homes. A brochure published by the U.S. Department of Energy on windows and daylighting recently pointed out that the percentage of glass area in a typical house has increased by 25 percent in the past 20 years. Designers seek new and better ways to not only bring more light into the interior of a home, but provide a view of the world beyond its walls.

At the same time, architects are aware that windows also provide a significant character to a house. Architect Arthur Danielian of Danielian Associates, Irvine, Calif., has suggested that glass is one of the most important elements to be considered in the design of a house. "During the day, windows appear dark in relation to the rest of the facade. This phenomenon reverses at night when glazing becomes the single most visible element," said Danielian.

Designers also know that the placement of windows, and even their makeup, can have a significant effect on the energy requirements of a home.

Not so many years ago, the only consideration that many designers gave to the orientation of a home and its glass surfaces was to provide overhangs that sufficiently shaded windows from the direct heat of a southern exposure. With the new window technologies developed by wood window manufacturers, however, it has become possible to literally provide a different window construction for every conceivable condition.

The savvy architect of today needs to understand all of the glazing options and window constructions from which he might choose. It no longer makes sense to specify just one type of window for an entire house. For a south-facing room, for example, the best choice might be a wood window designed to prevent solar heat gain. In northern climates, however, where solar energy becomes important, a south-facing room might include wood windows that allow heat to pass through. Absorbed by a heat sink of tile or brick, this energy might then be released into the room after the sun goes down, minimizing night-time heating requirements.

On the other hand, a north or east facing room might be better suited to installation of a wood window that is designed to keep out cold and reflect heat back inside a room.

A careful balancing of windows, using different types in different areas of the home, provides the designer with the opportunity to endow his homes with a unique character while actually making the structure more energy efficient.