Daylight from Above Awards

This category recognised residential projects where daylight design played a decisive role in transforming domestic spaces. Judges were looking for the skilful use of daylight from above to enrich both the architecture of a building and the lives of its occupants. Eligible entries included new-builds and conversions completed in the last three years in the UK, each incorporating VELUX sloped or flat roof windows as part of a considered daylighting strategy.

Assessment focused on how natural light was introduced with both imagination and rigour. This included the use of daylight to enhance comfort through thoughtful illumination and the management of contrast, glare and shadows. Projects were also evaluated for their sensitivity to orientation and light direction over time, how interior spaces registered the presence and quality of light, and how natural light impacted energy use and solar gain.

Many shortlisted projects used daylight from above to unlock deep or constrained spaces, often featuring central pyramidal or funnel-like roof windows that dramatically shaped the experience of the interior. Judges praised entries where top-lighting not only improved spatial quality but also supported wellbeing - such as in therapeutic settings - or where it addressed both aesthetic and functional challenges, like privacy, ambience, or energy efficiency.

Situated on the outskirts of Guildford, Surrey, with a direct view of the North Downs on the horizon, CASA BASSA is a small house built on the footprint of a previously nondescript garage. The design aims to redefine a typology by combining multiple dwelling types, creating a hybrid house that can adapt to various uses and layouts. The new structure was envisioned as a versatile space, providing a space for the clients’ daughters, an office, a gym, and guest accommodations, ancillary to the main house, a modern villa.

Loosely inspired by concepts derived from artificial intelligence - the owners’ field of expertise - the design interprets AI algorithms translating code into binary patterns of 0s and 1s. This concept informs the architectural language, with a vertical binary rhythm shaping the choice of technical solutions, materials, and finishes. Timber goalpost frames, zinc cladding, charred timber, battens, and porcelain tiles are meticulously arranged to reflect binary patterns of seam and field, solid and void, gap and slat, ridge and valley.

The resulting composition is a richly textured surface where light and shadow interact dynamically, accentuating the nuanced interplay of materials. This carefully orchestrated “wrinkled” canvas captures and reflects natural light, creating a harmony of contrasts and gradients that highlights the rugged sophistication of the design.

While the exterior of Casa Bassa is dark and monolithic, the interior offers a striking contrast - bright, monochrome, and flooded with natural light. The design intentionally explores an aesthetic where the extremes of the light spectrum serve as key architectural tools. The loft-like open space engages directly with the outdoors and the distant hills through expansive picture windows, fostering a seamless connection between interior and landscape. Visitors are met with a deliberate sense of surprise as they enter through a small, concealed door and ascend a dynamic, funnel-like and top-lit stairwell, transitioning from a feeling of enclosure to one of openness and light-filled expansiveness.