{"id":25883,"date":"2025-07-26T16:31:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T16:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/25883\/"},"modified":"2025-07-26T16:31:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T16:31:07","slug":"sky-windows-are-made-for-people-who-want-more-light-and-loads-of-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/25883\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky windows are made for people who want more light and loads of privacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A home in Bromont, Que., designed by Paul Bernier, features a sky window, essentially a high-up, wall-mounted pane of glass.james brittain\/Supplied<\/p>\n

Inside-outside connections are a much-beloved part of modern design. Many people want to sit, gaze out and enjoy the beauty of the nature around them, without the risk of bugs, rain or an unexpected conversation with an unfriendly neighbour. What better place to do that than inside a home office or living room. <\/p>\n

These days, however, designers are exploring new ways to create that connection \u2013 without some of the usual drawbacks. Large windows, for example, can compromise privacy (your neighbour can still tell you\u2019re home and might just ring the bell).<\/p>\n

One increasingly popular option is sky windows \u2013 high-up, wall-mounted panes of glass that frame views of treetops and sky. But do these elevated openings actually bring the great outdoors in, or do they just make the people staring up at them feel unnecessarily short?<\/p>\n

What are sky windows?<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

In a Toronto home designed by Batay-Csorba Architects, a sky window offers a view of the neighbourhood roofs.doublespace photography\/Supplied<\/p>\n

As the name suggests, sky windows are positioned high on a vertical wall \u2013 usually near the ceiling \u2013 designed to let in natural light and offer glimpses of clouds, moonlight and stars, without exposing views of nearby buildings or neighbours.<\/p>\n

\u201cA tall window high up will let the sun come in,\u201d says Montreal architect Paul Bernier, who has used the design element in several projects. \u201cThey\u2019re a good way to get the light without getting the view you don\u2019t want.\u201d <\/p>\n

For example, he used one in a house in Quebec\u2019s Eastern Townships to carefully block the sight lines of an adjacent home. <\/p>\n

On a house in Toronto, architect Jodi Batay-Csorba, partner at Batay-Csorba Architects, added a sky window in an office. The glass starts just above head height and soars another 15 feet upward. \u201cThe homeowner primarily works from home in the morning,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe window faces east, so it gets beautiful morning light without compromising any privacy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three chic homes show modern and unexpected ways to bring the outdoors in<\/a><\/p>\n

How do they differ from skylights? <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that I never use skylights,\u201d says Bernier. \u201cBut skylights can be a problem because they often let in too much sun. If they lie horizontally on a flat roof, they\u2019re essentially exposed to direct sunlight all day, which can make for a very hot interior environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a long-standing joke in the construction industry: There are two types of skylights \u2013 those that leak and those that will leak. While Bernier notes that skylight technology has become more leak-proof in recent decades, and Batay-Csorba adds that she \u201chas never had a skylight leak,\u201d other concerns remain.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A Toronto home designed by Farrow Partners. Tye Farrow explains that exposure to natural light comes with mental-health benefits.Tom Arban\/Supplied<\/p>\n

\u201cCondensation can build up in skylights and cause mould,\u201d says Bernier. Proper installation can help avoid that. <\/p>\n

Are there any benefits to sky windows? <\/p>\n

Yes \u2013 and they go beyond design. There are numerous potential health benefits, according to Tye Farrow, an architect and author of the bestselling book Constructing Health, a deep dive into the relationship between architecture and well-being.<\/p>\n

Farrow explains that sky windows, skylights and other forms of daylight access can enhance human health by nourishing the mitochondria in our cells. \u201cSunlight includes the near-infrared light spectrum, which lighting like LEDs doesn\u2019t provide,\u201d he says. \u201cThere\u2019s a reason people prefer working by a window at home rather than in a cubicle with no sun.\u201d<\/p>\n

He adds that there are mental-health benefits as well: \u201cExposure to natural light and views of nature \u2013 even partial or symbolic, like a painting \u2013 helps reduce stress and increase calm. Seeing moonlight, clouds or treetops through a window is grounding. It enhances our sense of time and place.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a house he designed in downtown Toronto, a place that doesn\u2019t always feel natural, Farrow used both sky windows and skylights to frame views of nearby treetops. \u201cIt really emphasizes that nature is everywhere,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Building a summer home from scratch isn\u2019t for the faint of heart<\/a><\/p>\n

Anything else?<\/p>\n

Aside from the wellness aspect, sky windows offer architectural flexibility. \u201cContemporary houses often have big windows,\u201d says Bernier. \u201cWith windows higher up, you can also have walls\u201d \u2013 a practical benefit for furniture layout and storage.<\/p>\n

So all someone has to do is put a window above head height? <\/p>\n

Sort of \u2013 but thoughtful design makes all the difference.<\/p>\n

Batay-Csorba installed a mechanical roller blind in a discreet pocket at the top of her 15-foot sky window to provide shade when needed. It\u2019s also triple-glazed to minimize heat loss in winter and prevent overheating in summer.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A home in Bromont, Que., designed by Paul Bernier, who calls sky windows ‘a good way to get the light without getting the view you don\u2019t want.’james brittain\/Supplied<\/p>\n

Bernier often includes light-enhancing elements, such as mirrors or white surfaces, around his sky windows to bounce light deeper into a space. \u201cI once designed a glass floor to bring morning light into a kitchen below,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n

What about the cost?<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t have to be ridiculously expensive. A custom 15-foot-tall window with motorized blinds or a glass floor will certainly cost a lot. But there are budget-friendly alternatives.<\/p>\n

However, Farrow notes that standard windows and skylights \u201care not expensive and provide high impact in terms of their benefits,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are also solar tubes, which, while they don\u2019t bring in any views, bring in the very important natural light, which is fundamental to our health.\u201d <\/p>\n

Solar tubes, or tubular skylights, are like ducts for light, tunnelling through a wall or ceiling to the roof to bring in a bit of sun. The light glows through a diffuser panel, so the tubes don\u2019t provide views. But they aren\u2019t expensive, costing from $400 to $600 at major retailers such as Home Depot.<\/p>\n

Organizing your home? Don\u2019t overlook the humble wall hook<\/a><\/p>\n

But unless you\u2019re a giant, what about opening these windows? Or wiping them down? <\/p>\n

These are common concerns. According to Bernier, \u201cIf you can\u2019t reach the window, it\u2019s possible to use motorized versions that open with a switch.\u201d<\/p>\n

In terms of cleaning, Bernier says: \u201cThere are ways. It\u2019s always possible to get a long squeegee.\u201d <\/p>\n

So over all \u2013 what\u2019s the verdict?<\/p>\n

Install a sky window if you want a private, light-filled connection to nature and don\u2019t mind occasionally explaining what a sky window is to curious guests.<\/p>\n

Skip it if you\u2019re not interested in craning your neck to check the weather or cleaning windows with an extendable pole.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: A home in Bromont, Que., designed by Paul Bernier, features a sky window,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25884,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[76,354,355,49,48,356,75,2922],"class_list":["post-25883","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-noastack"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25883","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25883"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25883\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25884"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}