Daylight & Sunlight (including Right to Light)

Designing buildings with acceptable levels of internal daylight and sunlight, while minimising the impact on the daylight enjoyed by surrounding buildings, is a growing challenge faced by designers. Local authorities are increasingly aware of how important daylight is to the health and wellbeing of residents, which means new planning policies are increasingly likely to take this into account. We use cutting-edge daylighting software, which includes the market-accredited Radiance simulation engine, to examine the impact of a proposed new development on the availability of daylight to the surrounding built environment, as well as to consider the quality of daylight and sunlight within the new development itself.

Using this data, we can support planning applications by preparing Daylight & Sunlight and Overshadowing reports in accordance with BRE guidance. We’re also able to prepare schematic building envelopes that can help designers maximise the scale of new developments while minimising the impact on surrounding buildings, as well as using our detailed understanding of building physics to assess and advise on any associated risks of overheating.

We have partnered with an expert to help developers understand and evaluate their scheme design with respect to the common law requirement of right to light. Our assessment will help developers to understand their risks and available mitigation measures.