The project to add a new extension to your house is a very exciting one because of the extra space, new functionality and an opportunity to design the living room that you have always desired. However, that is also not the only problem that several homeowners are unwilling to face until it is too late: it turns out that your living room or kitchen that was originally light and airy has become dim and closed-off. It is an issue that is common but good news is that this can be avoided with proper planning and design strategies.
The flow of light in your house must always be a high priority whether you are adding a garden room or a two story extension to your home. You may want to consider ways to keep more natural light in your home as you expand it, or even increase it.
Learning about the Effect of Extensions on Light.
Each house has its own set of light, which is determined by the direction of the house, the location of the windows, and the landscapes. When you put an extension, you are bound to disfigure such a pattern. As an example, an extension of the kitchen to the back can destroy the daylight that previously entered the dining room, or a side extension to two stories can cover smaller rooms indoors.
Before a single wall goes up, note the path that the natural light follows into and out of your house at various times of the day. Note the location of sunrise and sunset, and the shadows that the extension may create. By doing this early you are provided with the information necessary to design with light consideration instead of responding to it.
Designing With Daylight in Mind.
Architectural design is not merely space, it is all about the space feeling. The impact of natural light in mood, energy energy consumption and even size perception is enormous. To ensure that your extension does not darken other parts of your house, design strategies to allow the light to enter into the farthest locations of your house.
In case you are doing complicated home additions, engage the services of experts who can simulate your intended design on the computer so as to depict how the light will act once the extension is done. Such proactive planning will assist you to make certain changes before the construction commences and save you the frustration and money down the line.
The following are some of the useful design options that can sustain or augment natural light:
Apply Rooflights and Skylights Wisely.
One of the most powerful tools of restoring daylight into rooms that have been extended due to the process is the Rooflights. Even if a new structure covers what used to be an exterior wall or window, roof glazing can funnel in sunlight from above. Kitchens can be significantly improved by using flat rooflights or using skylights in vaulted ceilings, which can significantly add brightness without infringing privacy.
When it is an extension over multiple stories, it would be good to have skylights at the major landings or stairwells. These areas serve as wells of light, scattering sunlight on both upper and lower floors.
Include Internal Glazing.
Borrowed light can be done through internal glass walls, doors or even through the use of the clerestory window. Let us assume that you have a glazed back facade in your new extension, and the lounge next to it is now darker. You can provide a passage of that borrowed natural light into the two spaces by the means of internal glazing.
Frosted or reeded glass would provide privacy without losing light. Glass partitions are used in frames as well to create a sleek contemporary airy feeling that creates an illusion of openness in a limited area.
Open Up the Floor Plan
The other effective method of ensuring that natural light is maintained is by ensuring that the extension has a seamless connection with the adjoining rooms. Rather than setting up concrete dividing walls, use broad openings, sliding doors or even open plan designs. Eliminating light-blocking screens will cause daylight to spill over in the new windows or rooflights in the extension.
It is also possible to play with half-baked walls or internal nozzles that divide spaces in a functional but not visual manner. Such understated style maintains the sense of home not as a compartmented unit.
Select Reflective Colors and Finishes.
Natural light is enhanced by the use of light coloured walls, smooth surfaces and reflective surfaces. Such design choices can have a considerable impact on the house in case parts of it are inevitably darker because of an extension.
Apply off-whites, lightly neutral or soft colors which reflect back light instead of absorbing it. Glossy cabinets in the kitchen, splashbacks made of mirror, and flat flooring may also increase brightness. Even the mirrors at strategic positions can enhance the perception of daylight and depth in the dark areas.
Consider the Role of Windows
The location, size and the nature of your windows will define the quality of light penetration within your lengthened home. New spaces are well-illuminated with floor-to-ceiling eye-catching glazing, corner windows, and bifold doors.
Nevertheless, it is also important to consider the initial rooms. Should your extension seal up an old window, you may want to use glazed interior walls, create a rooflight, or put in high level windows in other locations of the house. It also helps to orient windows, south facing windows get the most daily sunshine therefore evenly distribute the brightness of the building so it does not create sharp effects between sunny and dark areas.
Apply Light Transition Strategy.
Not all rooms should be of the same brightness, but the process of the light moving to a darker one should not be unnatural. An intelligently planned lighting system fills the gap between the spaces that receive an excessive amount of daylight and the ones that do not.
So as to make even the rooms in the interiors that have no windows appear deliberately lit, layer your lighting, using both ambient, task, and accent sources. Movable LEDs, daylight light bulbs, and light sensors can be used to ensure there is a high, unified appearance towards the end of the house.
Hire an Architectural Expert.
Simple notions may have a difference, though to achieve really smooth light design, professional knowledge may be necessary. By hiring the professional architectural services, we are confident that your extension will not only appear beautiful but will also be practical in relation to the light, air circulation and movement of rooms.
Simulation tools such as light modelling and shadow are used by architects to predict the effect of every design element to the brightness. They have the ability to suggest personalized window positions, ceiling motions, or building adjustments that optimize both the natural and artificial light.
Perhaps also important in working with professionals is that it is then assured that local building codes are adhered to and in particular where your extension involves glazing of roofs, structural steel work or making major changes to the existing walls.
Don’t Forget the Exterior
Brightness indoors is also influenced by light outdoors. Unintentional obstructions to daylight may include eaves, pergolas, fences or even tall landscaping. You can as well envision the way the outdoor features will interact with the building at various seasons before finalizing your design. The natural result is that sometimes, simply trimming a tree, or installing permeable fencing can change you that much in terms of the amount of the sunlight that enters your windows.
Another thing to consider is exterior finishes. The light surfaces reflect the sunshine in the house whereas the dark surfaces absorb it. Provided your extension has cladding, bricks or stone, then select colors that are compatible with your interior lighting objectives.
Designing To Be Bright Is Designing To Be Comfortable.
Whenever you are about to make a new extension, your choice on a variety of things such as the position of the walls, type of windows, etc. not only determines the appearance of your home but also how it is going to be. Natural light is not just a matter of beauty, it improves your health and helps woven spaces into one, and makes your extended family comfortable and cheery.
When you are still in your initial stages of re-modeling your house, discuss with your architect the strategies of daylight as soon as you can. Note the way your home is interacting with light at the moment and should not be afraid to invest in such solutions as rooflights or internal glazing. Minor design choices are now able to save major frustrations in the future.
