Prairie School architects, led by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, addressed the challenge of providing natural light in interior spaces with limited exterior exposure through several design strategies:
1. Cantilevered Roofs and Overhangs: Prairie School buildings often featured extensive cantilevered roofs and overhangs, which extended beyond the exterior walls of the structure. These overhangs were designed to block direct sunlight at specific times of the day while allowing indirect and filtered light to enter the interior spaces.
2. Clerestory Windows: Prairie School architecture utilized clerestory windows, which are horizontally placed windows located near the top of the exterior walls. These windows allowed natural light to penetrate deeply into the interior spaces, even if there were limited exterior exposures.
3. Skylights and Light Courts: To maximize natural light, skylights were often incorporated in central areas of the building, such as atriums or stairwells. Light courts, which were internal courtyards surrounded by the building's structure, were also introduced to bring natural light to areas that did not have direct access to exterior walls.
4. Open Floor Plans: Prairie School buildings favored open floor plans that eliminated unnecessary partitions and allowed natural light to travel unimpeded throughout the space. This design approach ensured that even interior rooms received ample daylight from adjacent areas with exterior exposure.
5. Stained Glass Windows: While the Prairie School emphasized functional, unadorned windows, they also employed stained glass windows as artistic features. These windows were strategically placed to allow multicolored light patterns to filter into the interior spaces, enhancing the quality of natural light inside.
By combining these design strategies, Prairie School architects were able to maximize natural light penetration into interior spaces, creating well-lit environments with a strong connection to the outdoors, even in buildings with limited exterior exposure.
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