In Toyokawa, an experimental building without windows was built in a crowded part of the city. Well, almost not … A few windows are placed at a height of about 3 meters. No one looks in, the unpleasant cityscape doesn’t spoil your mood in the morning or annoy you in the evening.
However, the question arises: how does the sunlight penetrate inside?? In spite of the absence of window openings, the dwelling is evenly illuminated.
Roof beams narrow the flow of sunlight. Rays fall on clapboard walls, reflect and scatter across the room. As a result, soft and evenly distributed light fills the space, enveloping everything around and turning the cottage into a quiet and peaceful habitat. It’s simply stunning!
At the same time the interior of the house is not rich in objects of decoration. On the contrary, quite simple, with wooden trim, it is designed to emphasize the power and effect of the illumination in common areas: corridors, kitchen and study. The private apartments (bedrooms) and utility rooms, as opposed to the huge space of the house, are arranged in separate boxes, looking like boxes.
How the elements work with the visible part of the spectrum.
Photo courtesy of Kai Nakamura.
How can a windowless house achieve uniform natural lighting?