Hinged and Fixed Rooflights lighten dark corridors in property

A Flushglaze fixed rooflight and VisionVent hinged rooflight were both supplied for Tim de Graag’s comprehensive renovation of a 3-metre wide house in Zierikzee, an outstanding showcase of how to maximise light to enhance space. The rooflights were credited as creating “extraordinary and subtle differences in light and shadow in the heart of the house”.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

De Graag’s dynamic concept for creating a spacious, light and calm interior in what became known as House 20×3 required a fundamental re-shaping of the property’s floor plan and the introduction of a central axis to maximise the amount of natural daylight. The resulting 4 floors, connected by an elegant oak T-shaped staircase, provide modern yet relaxed studio living. It is the sightline at the heart of the property that is pivotal to the harmonious interaction of the various rooms of the house, and most importantly for bringing light into them.

PROJECT CHALLENGES

This narrow 18th century house in the South West of Holland had been in decay since the 70’s when it lost its historical exterior and had lain empty for several years. Essentially reduced to just a shell by the time the owner purchased it in 2015, the property, like similar houses in the area, presented a number of challenges to overcome before it could become a modern and workable home – long dark corridors, poor privacy caused by the ground floor windows facing the street, and critically a lamentable lack of daylight throughout the house.

PROJECT SOLUTION

Providing daylight solely through conventional windows in this narrow and deep property at Zierikzee would have had serious limitations, with some areas remaining in shadow as the daylight intensity varies dramatically. De Graag, in specifying these Glazing Vision rooflights, with their lack of visible internal framework and the glazing pointing directly at the light source, ensured that light falling into the core of the house was maximised and the modern aesthetics of the property were not compromised.

The VisionVent hinged rooflight also offered additional benefits to De Graag– it minimises the impact from the heat of the summer, and provides much needed ventilation in this split-level house. De Graag has successfully transformed what was an architectural “dark corridor” into a beautiful, spacious modern home, flooded with light and in harmony with its surroundings.