Every page, publication, building, assessment method and glossary entry contributes to a larger body of knowledge. This page brings them together in a single knowledge map, allowing you to explore the project from multiple perspectives.
Choose your own path.
Explore
Explore every page of the website and understand how the project's knowledge is organized.
Home page
Discover how daylight helps architects make better-informed design decisions from the earliest stages of design.
Daylight Assessment
Compare design alternatives with objective daylight assessment methods throughout the design process.
Publications
Read publications that bring together research, teaching and professional practice in architectural daylighting.
Gallery
Discover buildings where daylight becomes an integral part of the architectural idea through observation.
Glossary
Understand the essential terminology of architectural daylighting through concise, practical explanations.
About
Learn about the purpose, philosophy and long-term vision behind the Daylighting in Buildings project.
Legal and privacy
Read the legal, copyright, privacy and licensing information that supports the long-term openness of this project.
Reference
Explore the complete knowledge map of the website, including every page, topic and learning path.
Discover
Discover historic and contemporary buildings where daylight reveals architectural ideas through observation, photography and commentary.
Shades in the light
Discover how solar protection improves daylight quality while becoming part of the architectural expression.
Light unite in symphony
Discover how generous daylight gives public interiors clarity, warmth and intuitive orientation.
Carved by hands, revealed by light
Discover how place, material and orientation allow daylight to become part of architecture.
Light reveals democracy
Discover how daylight can express architectural ideas while supporting building performance.
Color deepens the light
Discover how colour becomes an architectural tool for shaping and balancing daylight.
Light weaves through history
Discover how daylight shapes the character, comfort and identity of historic urban spaces.
Poetry and precision
Discover how responsive façades transform daylight into an active architectural element.
An arcade of light
Discover how overhead daylight transforms circulation into memorable public architecture.
White meets the light
Light-coloured surfaces help distribute daylight deeper into architectural space.
Light anchors land to sea
Discover how daylight guides movement, orientation and the experience of arrival.
Learn
Explore the essential questions of daylighting and discover how the website answers them through research, examples and practical guidance.
What is daylighting?
Discover why daylight is one of architecture's oldest and most valuable design materials.
Why early design?
Learn why the earliest architectural decisions have the greatest influence on daylight performance.
How to design with daylight?
Learn how daylighting supports better-informed architectural decisions throughout the design process.
Why assess daylight?
Learn about standardized assessment methods, design criteria, performance levels for evaluating daylight.
Daylighting publications
Read publications that transform research and professional experience into practical architectural knowledge.
Why observe buildings?
Learn how observing real buildings reveals the relationship between daylight, architecture and human experience.
Why terminology?
Learn how a shared vocabulary helps architects communicate daylight with greater clarity and confidence.
Evaluate
Explore standardized daylight assessment, measurement and design methods that support better-informed architectural decisions.
Daylight provision
Learn how architects and daylighting consultants evaluate whether buildings and spaces receive enough useful daylight.
Exposure to sunlight
Evaluate how much direct sunlight reaches interiors to improve comfort, well-being and quality of the indoor environment.
View out
Evaluate the quality of outward views to help orientation and the visual connection between buildings and surroundings.
Protection from glare
Evaluate the risk of glare and identify design strategies that improve visual comfort without sacrificing daylight.
Read
Read lectures, professional articles, design guides and educational publications drawn from research, teaching and professional practice.
Designing with daylight
Discover the principles of daylighting from first design ideas to performance evaluation.
The early design stage
Learn how daylight can be evaluated during the earliest stages of architectural design.
Less is beautiful
Rethinking sustainable architecture through climate, place and environmental design.
Rooflights and physical models
Discover how physical models reveal daylight behaviour beyond conventional calculations.
Lighting design essentials
Learn how daylight and electric lighting work together to create visually comfortable buildings.
Electrical essentials
Understand how electrical infrastructure influences architectural planning from the earliest design stages.
Algorithmic design
Discover how computational design supports climate-responsive architecture from the earliest design stages.
Sustainable design
Learn how early design decisions influence long-term environmental and building performance.
Climate responsive
Explore how computational design connects architectural intent with environmental performance.
BIM essentials for architects
Understand how Building Information Modeling supports better design, coordination and collaboration.
BIG data and smarter cities
Discover how digital information helps create more sustainable, resilient and connected cities.
Daylighting in buildings
Learn the principles and standards that shape healthier, naturally lit buildings.
Daylight without windows
Explore daylight transport systems that bring natural light deep into buildings.
Coordinating building design
Understand how digital building models improve design quality and multidisciplinary collaboration.
BIM for building services
Discover how Building Information Modeling connects architectural and engineering design.
Model-based design
Learn how coordinated digital building models transform architectural design workflows.
Building energy performance
Understand how early architectural decisions determine long-term building energy performance.
Daylighting deeper indoors
Explore hybrid daylight systems that extend natural light beyond conventional windows.
Transparent matters
Explore architectural publications documenting an award-winning office building.
Understand
Understand daylighting terminology through concise, clear and accessible explanations.
Daylighting
Learn how natural light becomes one of architecture's most valuable design materials.
Daylight Provision
Understand how architects evaluate whether buildings receive sufficient useful daylight.
Daylight Factor
Understand one of the most widely used metrics for evaluating daylight indoors.
Daylight Autonomy
Discover how often daylight alone can provide useful illumination throughout the year.
Spatial Daylight Autonomy
Learn how much of a space receives useful daylight for most occupied hours.
Illuminance
Understand how much light reaches a surface and supports everyday visual tasks.
Luminance
Understand why surfaces appear brighter or darker and how this affects visual comfort.
Visual Comfort
Discover how balanced lighting helps people see comfortably and work without unnecessary strain.
Glare Control
Learn how good design reduces glare while preserving the benefits of natural daylight.
Sunlight Exposure
Understand when direct sunlight improves buildings and how it is assessed.
View Out
Understand why a good view is an essential part of daylighting and occupant wellbeing.
Circadian Clock
Learn how daylight helps regulate the body's natural daily rhythm.
Daylight Glare Probability (DGP)
Understand how discomfort glare from daylight can be predicted and evaluated.
Color Temperature
Learn how the colour appearance of light influences perception and atmosphere.
Sky Conditions
Understand how different skies influence daylight inside buildings.
Environmental Quality
Understand how daylight works together with other environmental factors to create healthy buildings.
EN 17037 Standard
Discover the European standard that provides a common framework for daylighting in buildings.
Window-to-Wall Ratio
Understand how the size of windows influences daylight, energy performance and comfort.
Building Orientation
Learn why the orientation of a building is one of the earliest and most important design decisions.
Building Form
Understand how the shape of a building influences the distribution of daylight.
Early Design
Understand why the earliest design decisions have the greatest influence on daylight performance.
Building Performance
Learn how daylight contributes to the overall performance of a building.
Sustainability
Understand how daylight supports more sustainable architecture.
Daylight Simulation
Learn how digital tools predict daylight before a building is constructed.
Occupant Wellbeing
Understand why buildings should be designed around the people who use them.
Life Cycle Assessment
Understand how environmental impacts can be evaluated throughout a building's entire life cycle.