Living Room window, clerestory and passive design

5 years ago

Dear all

Im needing some advice on function vs look for our new house living room windows in Victoria.

Living room is at the western end of house, and designer has recommend clerestory windows on north, west and southern side (3.6m high living room).

I think it looks very nice, but concerned about western sun and the impact of those western clerestory windows and wall windows. We have a pergola on the western side which we will have some battens running on top to provide some shade.

My questions are:

1. Would you remove the western clerestory windows completely - might look a bit odd to have just northern and southern clerestory?

2. Would you make the wall windows a bit smaller ( as in alternative western view) where I have made 2 windows half size - still get a view of backyard.

Many thanks for your help in advance

Featured Answer

ddarroch

5 years ago

As for the clerestories, glass is a very, very poor insulator & doesn't block radiant heat (sunshine). So in winter you want to gain more heat from sunshine coming in the house than you lose through poorly insulated windows (clerestories lose a lot of heat, as it's warm near the ceiling).

So you want your windows to be unshaded in winter. Unfortunately your roof design means your northern clerestories will be shaded, losing more heat than they gain. So I see no advantage having north facing clerestories with that roof design. As oklouise says, north facing clerestories are much better with a skillion roof, as they will receive winter sunshine.

As for western windows. All western windows are a problem in summer (& won't receive as much sun in winter as northern windows). Clerestories will be shaded for much of the day, but will still receive sunshine in the late afternoon. So I wouldn't be including them. You obviously want some windows facing your western yard. But I'd be reducing them, shading them with a western covered alfresco & using low-e glass to reduce radiant heat transmission.

Southern clerestories. These receive no sunshine in winter, & leak heat. So I wouldn't be having these either.

Maybe a case of form over function. You want form to follow function (as is the case with north facing clerestories with a skillion roof in the below example).

Comments (11)

oklouise
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
a copy of the plan would help but what is the purpose of the super high ceiling?...there's not only a potential problem with overheating but that's a lots of space to heat in cold weather
M B thanked oklouise
M B
Original Author
5 years ago
Sorry, I thought it uploaded! Ive attached it

the 3.6m is only in the living room only and designer wanted it to be a feature. I'll have the ceiling fans to distribute heat.
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oklouise
5 years ago
can't see the advantage of the super high ceiling and would prefer a simple skillion roof with raked ceiling and clerestory windows with extended eaves facing north...despite western pergola you should still have some late afternoon sunshine on sunny winter afternoons and don't forget ceiling fans and electric openers for the clerestory windows for easy opening to exhaust hot air
suancol
5 years ago
Sustainable house day in Adelaide had on e house with north facing clerestory windows and over 3 years of visits the result seems to be great in the winter but too much glass for summer sunshine. This type of window is as fashionable as grey at he moment. Skillion roof very 1960's and have issues as well related to rain drainage and wind resistance. Research as much as possible as many designers are grey colour thinkers thinking unique design vs practicals like heating and cooling. It is almost a given they will say skillion vs hip roof clerestory vs skylights .
PRO
Enertec Window and Door Systems
5 years ago
Hi M.B.

Have you had a look at the passive house website provided by the Victorian government? http://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design There will be some good advice there regarding clerestory windows and orientation. Western facing is not ideal for a lot of windows in the summer, so you will need high performance windows to ensure that your home achieves passive grade. How far are you in the planning stage? Have you chosen a window and door provider? I'd be happy to offer advice or arrange a quote for you for uPVC windows and doors. You can achieve high performance thermal efficiency with our window and door systems without any of the maintenance required for timber framed windows.

Let me know if I can help! Gabrielle 0411 349 411 or gabrielle.enertec@gmail.com

Enertec Window & Door Systems

Braeside, Melbourne, Victoria
M B thanked Enertec Window and Door Systems
10anp
5 years ago
Enertec yourhome.gov.au is a great resource to recommend. Credit where credit is due... It’s actually produced for the Federal Government by the University of Technology Sydney, Institute of Sustainable Futures with input from industry partners across all states.
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Enertec Window and Door Systems
5 years ago
Thanks 10anp! Good to know
M B thanked Enertec Window and Door Systems
M B
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks enertec for chasing this up. We have decided the window supplier but thank you for the offer.

Im still in 2 minds about the clerestory - I think they look great and have value for northern windows. Just looks odd to have them on one side and not the west or southern side in the house given the design above.

the yourhome.gov.au site is fantastic!
ddarroch
5 years ago
Certainly looks like you're overglazing to me, on the west & also probably in the north. Would have to see the entire plan & would also depend on your climate.

Is that a covered alfresco to the north? If so, I think you've got things the wrong way. A covered alfresco would be better to the west, while a pergola (covered with a deciduous vine) would be better to the north.

That brilliant Your Home website will explain it all. Western windows are very bad, as they are hard to shade with eaves & let in way too much heat on summer afternoons. A covered alfresco will go some way to shading these windows. Northern windows are great when shaded with appropriate length eaves as they let in winter sunshine, but not summer sunshine.
M B
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks for all the advice. I will take some of the advice and remove all the western clerestory as a start. The alfresco area north of living will be a vergola so I will be able to open this up during winter to permit more winter sun in. Might be too late to change the eave width for the northern clerestory, but will keep the northern clerestory in.

Will still think about south clerestory windows, but accept previous designs have been more form over function

Living Room window, clerestory and passive design

ddarroch

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