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Architecture vocabulary · Sustainability and Environment

Daylight

Meaning in architecture, with examples

/ˈdeɪlaɪt/nounCore term

In architecture, daylight means: Natural light from the sky and sun that enters a building; architects shape windows, rooflights and room depths to bring in enough of it without glare or overheating.

In Turkish: gün ışığı, doğal ışık

How it is used

Central to both design quality and sustainability. Architects talk about bringing in, maximising or controlling daylight. 'Daylighting' is the design strategy, and a daylight study tests how much light each room receives.

Example sentences

  1. The rooflights bring daylight deep into the centre of the library.

  2. The studios face north to get even daylight without direct sun.

Common collocations

  • natural daylight
  • bring in daylight
  • daylight study
  • daylight factor
  • maximise daylight
  • orientationThe direction a building, room or facade faces in relation to the sun, wind, views and the street.
  • glazingThe glass parts of a building, such as windows, glass doors and glass walls, or the work of fitting glass into frames.
  • passive designDesign that keeps a building comfortable using the sun, wind, shade and the building's own form and materials, so it needs little mechanical heating, cooling or lighting.
  • atriumA large open space inside a building that rises through several floors, usually under a glass roof, and is often used as an entrance hall or meeting area.
  • fenestrationThe arrangement, size and proportion of the windows and other openings in a building's facade.

More terms: Sustainability and Environment

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