Window Placement Will Impact Light Into Rooms

Know Where Windows Will Shed Light Into A Room

When it comes to window placement, place a window along a wall, close to another wall or ceiling. It can impact the light streaming and reflecting into that space.

Having windows located on two different walls, will cast different lighting, shadows and dimension in the room.

The walls, furniture and even people look brighter, healthier and show more texture as light streams from different angles.

The reason for this is when light is coming in only from one direction; it creates a two-dimensional light on objects and people in the room. It’s like when you only have one light bulb in the ceiling lighting the entire room. Objects and people appear duller.

But when there is light streaming from different angles and different times of day, the objects and people in the room take on a more 3-dimensional characteristic.

The reason for this is that our eyes interpret more light from different angles which highlights different surfaces – which creates more of a 3 dimensional image for our eyes. In other words, we are receiving more visual data of light for our eyes to take in.

Cross-Ventilation Needs to Be Considered

Adding windows to opposing walls also allows us to enjoy cross-ventilation. There is nothing better on a warm summer day than to have both windows open and a warm, fresh breeze moving across the room.

Improving Light Reflection Into a Room

When it comes to window placement, another approach to increasing the light coming into a room is using walls and ceilings as a means for creating reflection.

In other words, use the walls or ceiling to bounce light from the window, to the walls/ceiling and then back into the room.

This light will be coming from another angle. This new angle of light will increase the intensity, angle and dimension of light.

For instance, if you place a window further away from the perpendicular wall, a shadow will be cast on the “window” wall. This limits the amount of light that is reflecting into the room.

But if you move that window close to the perpendicular wall or close to the ceiling, the light comes in, bounces off the wall or ceiling and cast a new light back into the room.

Moving the window around to different parts of the wall is a snazzy way for designers to work with light intensity.