Is beauty only skin deep?: The building envelope and its impact on daylighting design

The design professions have seen a proliferation of new types of translucent glazing and cladding systems in the past decade. The design strategies, detailing, and choice of materials for the windows and building envelope are essential factors in creating a meaningful experience of architectural space and form. Yet, little attention has been given to the daylighting impacts of translucent versus clear glazing. This paper compares and contrasts the daylighting and envelope designs of the Naked House and the Shutter House by architect Shigeru Ban. Qualitative and quantitative analyses for each project illustrate the impacts on daylighting and human experience of translucent versus clear building envelopes.