SKYLIGHT VS CLERESTORY
LOCATION
British Columbia
YEAR 2017
ARCHITECT hcma
ROLE Sustainability coordinator
Keywords | daylight autonomy, glare, visual comfort
YEAR 2017
ARCHITECT hcma
ROLE Sustainability coordinator
Keywords | daylight autonomy, glare, visual comfort
Located in the lower mainland of British Columbia, this secondary school was designed by hcma to inspire incoming students and offer a variety of innovative learning environments. The atrium acts as a key feature to enhance social interaction, collaboration, and sense of community. This exercise looked at the daylight autonomy and visual comfort inside the atrium when using two distinct roof opening strategies: skylights and clerestories. A few of the considerations that were important to weigh during decision-making were the operating hours/months of the school, the orientation of the atrium and its 3-storey high west-facing curtain wall, and the ventilation strategies used to keep the atrium comfortable. The design team proceeded with skylights as advised.