Reconsideration of Opening Design in the Integration of Natural Light into Interior Space

ABSTRACT: Natural light was the main lighting sources before the invention of artificial lamps. After that, most of the designers started to design windowless buildings, which caused the consumption of a lot of fossil fuel besides its expensiveness. After 1960s, some of the architects started to re-think about natural lighting. They started to consider natural lighting in their design until the contemporary period. During the contemporary period, a design event affects architecture and forced architects and designers to be part of it with the invention of new technologies or materials. Therefore, for instance, it led to the emergence of digital architecture, where parametric design or fluid design arose as a result. This kind of architecture allows architects to design in any form, shape, and size where the priority was the shelter and functional role of opening more than the interior and its effects on the user or space. Therefore, together with the form, changes on opening and fenestration design affected the integration of natural light into interior spaces as well. In due course, this study discourses the role opening design has on the integration of natural light into the interior space. It gives priority to the effects of opening on the interior space more than the shelter of a building or the functional role of the openings. Accordingly, at first, this study emphasizes the need for reconsideration of openings and investigates different methods and techniques that openings can be designed. Then it evaluates the effects of various opening designs on the integration, natural light into an interior space and its effects on interior design / space besides the user. Keywords: Natural Lighting, Interior Design, Interior Space, Opening and Fenestration Design, Opening Design Techniques, Interior Design Elements and Principles. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………