Natural Light In Tropical Homes

The impact of natural light such as daylight and sunlight is important in tropical homes. However, the type of natural light can have different impacts on tropical regions.

Often, we want to ensure that our home has as much natural light as possible. Natural light is thought to be great for our physical and mental wellbeing.

We want to ensure that enough windows are provided to let in the great natural light we enjoy in the tropics. However, too much natural light, especially direct sunlight, can significantly increase the temperature of your home.

Hence, it is important to ensure that you get the right type and quantity of natural light in your home.

Difference Between Daylight and Sunlight

Daylight usually refers to the natural light visible during the day. It can be direct or indirect sunlight. However, sunlight usually refers to direct light from the sun.

The key factor here is direct versus indirect light from the sun.

In temperate countries, passively designed homes would often try to let in as much direct sunlight into their homes during the winter months. That is because the sunlight can help provide warmth to the home. It can also be used to warm up thermal massing materials such as concrete floors. The heat from the concrete floors can then radiate into the home long after the sun has set.

However, in tropical countries, we want to achieve the opposite. As much as possible you want to avoid direct sunlight entering your home.

Effects Of Direct Sunlight

Direct sunlight can add a lot of bright natural light into your home. But in the tropics, it also adds a lot of heat.

That sunlight passes through glazed openings bringing in heat. The heat then gets trapped in your home unless it is properly ventilated.

Direct light from the sun heats interior thermal massing surfaces like in temperate countries. But unlike in temperate countries, that slow-releasing heat can make your home hot and uncomfortable at night after the sunsets. This should be avoided.

Sunlight can also cause colour fading of wall paints, furniture and other items.

Benefits Of Indirect Daylight

Though it is great to have lots of daylight in your home, it is better to create as much indirect light as possible.

The technical aspects of achieving this are more critical in commercial buildings such as offices. This is because the quality of light is more important in that type of environment where there may be more writing and reading.

However, I think that having some knowledge of how you can control the amount of direct versus indirect light enters your home.
Features such as horizontal ledges in your windows or light shelves can assist with preventing direct sunlight and allowing indirect light.

Courtyards can also be a good way to let indirect light into your habitable spaces.

Light coloured surfaces such as walls, floors and ceilings can also be used to reflect light around indirectly.

Shading

As much as I love the effect of natural light in interior spaces, I sometimes wonder how much light you need. Performing regular task in your home does not always need to lot of light.

My bedroom is sandwich between two other rooms. It has only one east-facing window. However, on the outside of that window are large shady trees. This blocks almost all the direct sunlight entering my room.

The other rooms in the house are not as shaded and allow much more daylight. My room is by far the darkest in the house. However, it is also the coolest.

Though it is the darkest room, it isn’t that dark. Sometimes I may need to turn on a light if I am reading some fine print (though this may be more to do with my failing vision). Other than that, it provides an adequate amount of light I require.

Hence, I wonder if sometimes we seek after more light than we need, sacrificing our thermal comfort.

Conclusion

Natural light is an important aspect of your tropical home design.

Try to eliminate as much direct sunlight and allow more indirect light. This will help reduce the heat that enters your home.

Incorporate as much natural light into your homes as you need without compromising your thermal comfort.

Featured image by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash