Shade in Summer, Sun in Winter
Louvered sunshades filter light when it's hot, let it in when it's not
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
In modern and contemporary architecture it's clear that glass is key. Full-height glazing, ribbon windows, tall windows, just about anything outside of traditional punched openings is the norm. But with larger expanses of glass it is often necessary — depending on window placement and orientation, among other things — to provide some sort of sunshade to cut down on solar heat gain in the warm months, while allowing light back in during fall and winter.
Nature provides the best sunshade: deciduous trees filter sunlight in the summer, but when their leaves fall of toward the winter, that valuable sunlight and heat is reintroduced into the house. But trees take time to grow, and sometimes it's not possible to plant a tree in the place it's needed for this type of shading. Enter louvered sunshades. These cantilevered assemblies filter the high summer sun, but their placement at the top of windows lets the low winter sun enter below them. Below is a sampling of some houses incorporating sunshades in various applications.
Nature provides the best sunshade: deciduous trees filter sunlight in the summer, but when their leaves fall of toward the winter, that valuable sunlight and heat is reintroduced into the house. But trees take time to grow, and sometimes it's not possible to plant a tree in the place it's needed for this type of shading. Enter louvered sunshades. These cantilevered assemblies filter the high summer sun, but their placement at the top of windows lets the low winter sun enter below them. Below is a sampling of some houses incorporating sunshades in various applications.
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| In many cases the size of a sunshade is determined by aesthetics rather than function, decreasing the effectiveness of the shade. This example shows sizable shades that are so deep they require bracing. |
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| Another application by the same architect shows a similar construction of louvered shades with brackets over a ribbon window. A look inside ... |
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... reveals how the sunshade works in concert with a louvered double-wall in the lower portion of the glass wall. When the sun is low, light will enter the upper portion to help heat the interior when it's cold.
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| Not all sunshades need to be horizontal louvers. This assembly, which is hung from above, opts for a grid to help cut down on sunlight. From another view ... |
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| ... we can see how the shade also acts like a canopy, defining an entrance and a small outdoor room. |
| And if you're worried about all this metal, sunshades can also be constructed of wood or some other material. This shade also acts as a canopy for an entrance (on the right) while filtering the sunlight over the glass on the left. Another view ... |
... shows how this sunshade extends beyond both sides of the entrance, shading a number of rooms with one assembly. The construction perfectly complements the stone of the house's exterior and the landscaping elements.
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This hybrid steel/wood shade works in concert with the overhang above, which shades the clerestory over the sliding doors. A view from inside ...
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| Shows the way the sunshade can also tie inside and outside together, acting like an extension of the former. |
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| In this example a sunshade turns into a trellis over an outdoor seating area. |
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Some atypical examples to round out this ideabook include this louvered trellis over an entrance walkway. Punched into a solid roof plane, the shade lets in more light than if it were solid, helping to make the entry more inviting. A closer look ...
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... shows the wonderful light patterns that result at certain times of the day.
Solid materials can also be used for sunshades, such as this translucent plane over wood structure. In this case the shade filters light entering the glass expanse at right, but it also allows the seating area to be used even when it's raining.
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This sunshade — more of a trellis, actually, but resembling other shades in this ideabook — protects the people sitting below it, not people on other side of a glass wall. The incorporation of the wood structure with ivy from the planters behind the seating is wonderful.
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| This last example shows a sunshade (middle of photo, in wood) that is placed vertically instead of horizontally. Its location on a detached frame between the two floors lets it function as a shade for the first floor; the large overhang above shades the second floor. A view from inside ... |
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Shows how the wood slats overlap with the window opening, so high sunlight is filtered.
More:
Wood Slats in Design: Scale, Repetition and Light
Translucent Surfaces: A Canvas for Light and Shadow
Beautiful Shutters That Actually Work
More:
Wood Slats in Design: Scale, Repetition and Light
Translucent Surfaces: A Canvas for Light and Shadow
Beautiful Shutters That Actually Work
Comments
Pat Lukes Fabulous ideabook...exactly what I've been researching lately. Thanks John.
20 months ago · Like
jowright I love the butterfly house for solar passive design... http://www.zenarchitects.com/project1.html
20 months ago · Like
Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR I liked that louvered trellis over the entrance walkway. That's creative! Nice way to brighten up that entrance. I think it would be great to have a motorized louver sunshade so you can move it as you need it for extra shade or light. Can't even imagine how much that would cost.
20 months ago · Like
jselfa Great stuff, but I want to note one thing. I had a lovered type trellis over my living room. The one drawback is that the sun typically hits the same way day after day and I didn't have curtains on the windows like many of these photos. My furniture ending up having a striped pattern from fading from the sun. Granted the sun would have faded the furniture either way, but the stripes were rather unappealing.
20 months ago · Like
moraine Just installed a louver feature above our south-facing front door. I hope it will help to break up the glare and provide a transition from the open deck to the foyer. Plus, it gives me a trellis for the summer and a place to put holiday lights!
20 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on Sept. 19, 2011.
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