Skylights and clerestory windows played a crucial role in bringing natural light into Prairie School houses. The Prairie School architectural style, popularized by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century, focused on integrating the house with its natural surroundings and bringing the outside in.
Skylights were installed on the roof of Prairie School houses to capture and direct sunlight into the house from above. They allowed natural light to enter the interior spaces, bringing in warmth and brightness. By strategically positioning skylights, architects could also create dramatic lighting effects, casting patterns of sunlight and shadows on the walls and floors, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the space.
Clerestory windows, on the other hand, were long, narrow windows located on the upper part of the walls, just below the roofline. These windows were typically placed on the north and south sides of the house to capture the maximum amount of daylight throughout the day. The clerestory windows acted as light wells, allowing sunlight to penetrate deep into the interior spaces, illuminating the rooms and reducing the need for artificial lighting during daylight hours.
Both skylights and clerestory windows were essential elements in Wright's design philosophy of creating open and light-filled spaces. By incorporating these features into Prairie School houses, Wright sought to blur the distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces, harnessing natural light as a form of artistic expression and creating an intimate connection with nature.
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