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External balustrades are popular because they are aesthetically pleasing and do not face the maintenance challenges that non-stainless metal balcony railings do. However, they may also have additional benefits for helping keep a building lighter indoors.
In recent years, architects have increasingly focused on designs that increase the amount of natural light that penetrates the interior of buildings. There are several reasons for this not simply being a fashion or phase, but a logical and beneficial step:
- Less artificial light is required, keeping energy bills down
- The interior space is made more pleasant by having extra light
- The interior looks more spacious than it otherwise would
- Areas of shadow are minimised
- It reduces the growth of mould or fungi in rooms with a lot of moisture, such as bathrooms
- Natural light brings vitamin D and other health benefits to those within
- It has a positive psychological effect
Such benefits can be particularly significant in a climate where we may spend a lot of time indoors for much of the year with short daylight hours.
How Does More Light Enhance The Mood?
This can be especially true in the psychological realm. For some people, a lack of light can be a catalyst for low mood, with severe sufferers enduring seasonal affective disorder. More natural light can help to ease this problem.
The role that interior glass, including balustrades, can play in helping achieve this aim is obvious, as it is for large windows and skylights. But what role can external balustrades play?
A benefit that may not be immediately obvious concerns the line of sight. Windows are the boundary between the inside and outside of a building, but light is no respecter of this. Nor are any obstacles that can block light and cast a shadow.
Just as having glass inside a building aids the flow of natural light and avoids shadows being cast, so the presence of external balustrades ensures that more light is coming through to the windows, while shadows are not being cast.
The benefits of this can be huge, whether it is in an office, where research has shown that extra light can aid productivity, or in a home, where all the gains of having extra light can be enjoyed whether you are busy with important tasks or relaxing on a weekend day.
Why Are Glass Balustrades Never Too Low Down To Increase Natural Light Flow?
You might imagine that a glass balustrade will only be of limited use as its position outside is lower down rather than higher up, meaning it is not blocking direct sunlight except when the sun is low.
However, this would be to ignore the fact that glass can still project reflected sunlight, while opaque surfaces will still cast shadows.
Moreover, there is often a matter of angles, where upstairs glass balustrades can allow sunlight through directly into the downstairs area in an open-plan home.
All of this can be added to the other qualities of modern external glass balustrades, with their sleek and modern aesthetic, great toughness and sense of openness to the outside world.
This combination of beauty and practicality makes such balustrades a huge asset for any building, especially a home.
