Designing with the sun
Light is never just something that enters a building. It is a material that changes everything it touches.
Begin with the day
Before choosing finishes, observe how a room changes from morning to evening. A surface that feels gentle under diffuse light may become harsh in direct sun. Sketching the path of light often reveals where to sit, where to shade, and where to leave space alone.
Give shadow a purpose
Shadow helps a room feel legible. A deep window reveal makes a threshold, an overhang makes a place to pause, and a screened edge creates privacy without closing off the view. Good daylight design works with the contrast between bright and quiet areas.
Use less, notice more
A single opening can become the organising idea of a space. The Solar Pavilion explores this at a monumental scale, but the same principle applies to a reading corner. Place something worth looking at where the light already wants to go.