The tradition of designing spaces with second light originates in the distant Middle Ages. It was then that throne and state rooms began to be built in palaces and castles. The abolition of interfloor ceilings made it possible to make the structure not only unlimited in height, but also to give it a special pomp and even pomp due to the illumination of many high windows. Later, the palace ensembles of Paris and Peterhof shone with the luxury and decoration of their double-height halls.
Epochs succeeded each other, values changed, and in Soviet times the trend migrated to public buildings. Palaces of culture and houses of pioneers were built, where it was necessary to emphasize the solemnity of the moment with the majesty of the setting.
And finally, the architects of our time increasingly began to resort to such a spectacular technique in individual buildings. Today they strive to unite the object with the environment and create the illusion of a smooth flow of external and internal spaces into each other through a large number of high window openings. The interiors are filled with light and air and visually continue the landscape outside the window.
Advantages of houses with second light
- The internal space visually increases, even in houses with a small area a feeling of spacious housing is created.
- Powerful insolation gives scope for interior solutions and has a beneficial effect on the well-being of the people living in it.
- Diversifies façade solutions through the use of panoramic windows.
- Makes it possible to create winter gardens and green areas from light-loving plants.
- During the day, natural illumination of stairs and balustrades is assumed.
Construction Features
- Heating such houses is somewhat more expensive than with a conventional floor plan. But by taking care of good thermal insulation of the roof, you can avoid heat loss. It is also possible to solve this issue with the help of additional heating with a natural fireplace and by installing “warm floors”.
- You will need to order large-sized “joinery” for panoramic glazing.
- It will be necessary to think about proper zoning to ensure isolation of noise and odors in a single volume of the room.
Project catalog
Our catalog contains drawings of projects of various styles, materials and designs with the presence of rooms with second light. It can be:
- two-story houses with a full second floor, such as the compact and charming and cozy classic, where only the dining part of the kitchen-dining room has a double-height space, or with a high living room where the home theater area is located;
- houses with two above-ground floors plus a usable space in the underground part - a basement, which gives the owners an additional living level (this is a magnificent wooden one with an underground garage and a sauna and a high living room; and a beautiful modern cottage with an underground home gym and a high dining room);
- The most common category is two-story houses with an attic. Examples include: with a square double-height living room and a billiard room in the attic; extravagant with two terraces and a compact high bay window in the dining room; with a carport-garage for two cars, a balcony-gallery and a two-light high dining room.
If you decide to move out of town and become the owner of a plot of land located in a beautiful natural area - on the shore of a picturesque lake, on the edge of a forest, or from the windows of your future home with a view of the mountains, be sure to pay attention to this section.
As a rule, projects of houses with second light involve construction from scratch, since implementing such an architectural solution in an already built house is quite problematic and expensive. Typically, projects of cottages and houses with second light assume the absence of overlaps between floors with the creation of an extensive balcony inside the living space. At the same time, the architect, using this technique, strives to obtain a feeling of space and solidity. The house will always be bright; in addition, it allows you to experiment with glazing, for example, using stained glass. There are a huge number of options for decorating this type of room, including non-standard artificial lighting. However, it is important to remember that large spaces with high ceilings require special attention when it comes to heating. Modern heating systems can solve this problem without much hassle, but this should still be thought about at the design stage.
Such projects are very successful because they allow you to create original and spectacular interiors that will make the house much more aesthetically pleasing and brighter. In addition, house designs with second light allow you to significantly save on artificial lighting and grow even the tallest indoor plants in the house, which will undoubtedly delight lovers of indoor flora. Some people believe that second light can only be created in houses with a large area, but in fact, there are designs for houses with second light and a small area - the main thing is to properly think through and organize the space. That is why the design of a house should be carried out in close cooperation with the architect. His experience and practical approach will help you realize your plans to the fullest and at the same time get a truly comfortable home. Of course, it is very important to choose a good specialist who can achieve a compromise between the wishes of the customer and the regulatory requirements for a residential building. The best way to find such a professional is to contact a reputable design organization.
We have compiled here ready-made projects of houses and cottages with a second light living room. They are different in size, style, and number of rooms, but all have spectacular interiors, convenient layouts, and are inexpensive to build. So we hope that every lover of space will find something for themselves here. You can view the rest of our architects' projects in full.
A second light in the living room is usually considered an unaffordable luxury, arguing that the house could have had a room on the second floor instead.
Bureau Invapolis disagrees!
In a house project, a second light can be a decoration of life and a means of saving!
The living room combined with the dining room turns out to be approximately 4 by 8 (or 5 by 7), which means the ceiling must be at least three meters, otherwise it will be psychologically “pressure.” But at the same time, the remaining rooms (kitchen, bedrooms, utility rooms, hall, furnace room, etc.) are small and can be lower, 2.5 -2.7 m. Here, on the contrary, excess height will create a “well” effect. And here the second light will become a “lifesaver”...
In fact, we are only building one high room. Moreover, the second light may not be throughout the entire area, but only, for example, by the fireplace. We design other rooms to be low, lower than they would be in a regular living room.
At the same time, we get a whole “bouquet” of architectural advantages:
1. Impressive living room interior with high ceiling. You can put up a huge New Year's tree here, LIKE IN THE KREMLIN! Balconies on the second floor visually further expand the space of the double-height room. The staircase in projects of houses and cottages with a second light completely fits into the interior and decorates it.
2. With such an extraordinary room, even a modest house will look respectable
3. We don’t build unnecessary things. Reducing the overall height of the house in a project with a second light allows saving 5-10% in wall material.
4. We respect our neighbors and increase the harvest. We build a more squat cottage, and do not shade the area with it.
Conclusion: By choosing to build a house and cottage project with second light, we get beauty, comfort and savings at the same time.
Please note that in most of the house and cottage projects presented here, the second light of the living room can be blocked off to increase the number of bedrooms in the attic or second floor. In addition, a two-story living room can be arranged in the design of almost any house with an attic
In wooden housing construction, houses with second light have long become popular.
In houses with second light in one or more rooms (most often in the living room or dining room) interfloor ceilings are not installed. Thus, the space between the first and second in these rooms becomes unified.
Natural light enters the rooms with second light through the windows of the first and second floors, creating, as it were, double lighting. The room becomes even more spacious and light. Often the windows of the first and second floors are combined, and one common glazing is obtained for two floors. This gives the facade of the house with a second light style and presence, and the room - solemnity and presentability. High ceilings allow you to hang luxurious chandeliers and lamps and implement various design solutions that are not possible to decorate rooms with standard ceiling heights.
The effect of second light is also present when the ceiling is hemmed along the rafters, and not parallel to the floor.
Advantages and disadvantages of houses with second light
Houses with second light have two significant advantages:
- 1. Due to the absence of ceilings, rooms with second light look larger and freer, and the footage of the entire house seems larger. All this adds solidity and solidity to houses with second light.
- 2. Additional natural light has a beneficial effect on the emotional state and health of the owners of a house with second light, and, to some extent, allows you to save energy.
The disadvantages include the following facts:
- 1. The organization of second light takes up part of the usable area of the house. Therefore, when designing, you should initially provide for the number and size of premises necessary for the comfortable living of all family members.
- 2. As you know, warm air rises. Therefore, in rooms with second light, it is necessary to organize modern, efficient heating systems that contribute to savings in the operation of the house.
Construction of houses with second light in North Forest
The architects of the North Forest company in the projects of wooden houses with second light took into account all the details, the layouts were carefully thought out, which ensures comfortable living in such a house.
If, instead of a second light, you want to equip an additional bedroom, office or dressing room on the second floor, we will rework the project in accordance with your wishes. And if you like a standard project in which the second light is closed, in most cases it is permissible to arrange it. We make these changes at no additional charge.
Or panoramic glazing, you should pay attention to the projects of houses with second light, developed by our company. This architectural technique “migrated” to private construction from palaces, theater halls, and public buildings.
Its essence is to combine parts of the 1st and 2nd (and sometimes 3rd) floors into a single space due to the absence of interfloor ceilings. Sunlight penetrating from the windows of the walls and attic gives the high room a special flavor, monumentality, and creates a feeling of spaciousness. Stained glass inserts are often used to enhance the effect.
Features of a cottage with second light
When choosing a house with overhead lighting, you need to understand that this will require a rather complex, professionally designed project. The internal layout should take into account:
- that the usable area of the building is reduced because part of the ceiling is missing;
- good insulation of the roof is necessary so that the rising warm air does not “evaporate”;
- an engineering heating system often provides for the installation of a “warm floor”;
- the choice of double-glazed windows is made based on the calculation of the required parameters to create a comfortable microclimate;
- Thermal convectors are located in such a way as to make the most efficient use of electrical and natural energy.
The planning solution may be different. A two-story building usually has large windows - from floor to ceiling, illuminating the entire room at the same time. Sometimes the emphasis is on attic glazing, especially if they want to place a winter garden there. Very often a large balcony and a surrounding gallery are built at the top - they offer views of the living room and the surrounding landscape
In our catalog you can choose a project for a one-story house up to 150, 200 m2 with a second light, and for the construction of a large building. An example of the first is a European-style brick house - No. 57-68K (area 144 m2), the second is a 4-storey cottage of 500 m2. An interesting technique has become an effective design solution for modern premises in high-tech and minimalist styles.
