Access Points

Other access points for daylight consist of clerestories and skylights. Clerestories were prominent in the Egypt era through the form of vertical slabs in the wall in order to allow limited daylight in to access; they also were prominent in the Romanesque and Gothic Era. 

The modern version of a clerestory which is a technical architectural word for windows above eye level are mostly used instead of a skylight; if one does not want to pierce the ceiling for daylight to access clerestory are used in a repeated manner to create an interesting pattern rather than just a placed window and allowing access for daylight.

modern clerestory 

 By having daylight access an interior through a high point within a room the space is immediately lit better as it has better coverage and a sense of space is also gained. Certain buildings are not built with eyelevel windows but use clerestories instead as natural lighting and thermal effect can be gained and the risk of glare is avoided.

skylight modern kitchen

Skylights are used quite frequently as a source of daylight. By having glass ceilings the illumination of the natural light accessing the room is able to spread evenly and balanced throughout the space.

Another form of skylight is the skylight tube; it consists of a hole being pierced into the ceiling and an aluminium vent that connect the hole with the space. By doing so; a concentrated amount of natural light accesses the tube and is reflected into the vent through the reflected material and is used similar to a spot light. 

skylight tube 

In the below photograph the difference that the skylight tube can be seen. By doing the tube it serves as a substantial replacement for a  spotlight and does not overpower the room with intense daylight. 

Reference Links; 

Solar Tube Skylight – Use of the Solar Tube Skylight 03.04.13 [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.solartubeskylight.com/category/use-of-the-solar-tube-skylight. [Accessed 09 April 2015].