Interior Windows Bring New Dimension To Residential Design

December 21st, 2006

By Randy Grange
TRG Associates

Thoughtful use of exterior windows and doors remains a basic ingredient of good residential design. Properly placed, they capture views and bring in abundant natural light.

Providing more than one view from a given space also creates an exciting “see-through” effect that even more effectively capitalizes on the dynamic qualities of daylighting. Creative use of interior windows and glass doors takes the concept of “see-through” a step further, visually opening the house without destroying the functional aspects of various rooms.

The use of interior glass has been widely exploited in commercial and institutional buildings, often for very practical reasons. Two classic examples involve allowing the boss to view his employees in an office building or allowing nurses and parents a view inside a hospital nursery. The same cannot be said for residential structures. Here, use of interior glass has been far from pervasive. Ignoring its potential results is a significant missed opportunity.

The practical aspect of interior glass that has played such a critical role in its prominence within commercial and institutional settings translates to home use as well. For example, just as the boss’s glass enclosed office allows him to watch over employees, a glass door of a family or sun room enables parents to effectively oversee their children’s activities without being in the same room.

The practical aspect of using glass for specific solutions within the home is one thing. Equally important to this discussion, however, is the potential for creating aesthetic solutions as well. Generally the advantages fall into three categories–view, daylighting and visual connection of space. Let’s look at each and some potential uses of glass to accomplish each objective.

Open View

With regard to view, interior glass provides visual access to or through an adjoining space inside a home. The view may be to the exterior, such as to observe a bountiful flower garden, a mountainous landscape or a rolling green lawn. On the other hand, the objective may be to focus on a feature of an adjoining space(exposed trusses, a cozy fireplace, or an ongoing social function).Perhaps, too, there is a second-floor hallway or room adjacent to a dramatic vaulted two-story living space. A window looking into this larger space could effectively enhance an otherwise predictable environment with surprise bonus view. It also very well might open the viewer to an exterior space previously only available if you were in the larger space. By making the window an operable one, such as a double-hung or a casement, audio as well as visual communication could be established between occupants of both spaces.

If privacy was a concern at some times, obscure or sandblasted glass in the window offers control of the amount of connection between the spaces. For example, if one of the spaces was a bedroom, the window could be opened to allow communication, or closed to ensure privacy.

 Transfer light

The second objective of interior glass is to allow daylight to be transferred from spaces blessed with large exterior windows to adjacent, less fortunate rooms. This is a strategy which remodelers frequently employ. Older houses with multiple small room devoid of natural lighting become modern, airy and full of light. Replacing all or part of a solid wall with glass partitions or sliding glass doors breathes new life into spaces on both sides of the wall.

Even though these partitions are transparent, interior windows define spaces without sacrificing function. At least one room gains new brightness and both spaces appear bigger. It also creates a new element of architectural drama within the environment.

With the vast array of wood windows and doors available in today’s market, the possibility for designing the new glass wall seems virtually limitless. The designer can stack units horizontally and vertically to create exciting patterns, use doors and windows in combinations, or even mix in solid wall elements or glass block.

Daylighting opportunities are not limited just to remodeling projects, however, nor should they be. The technique proves particularly effective for challenging new construction projects and architectural styles–such as in zero-lot-line designs. In such cases–where the side walls of a house may abut a neighbor on either side–glass exterior may be limited to the front, back or ceilings of a dwelling. Using interior glass in these cases makes maximum use of the daylight.

Entry Filed under: Window Design