Skylights, Roof Lights & Glass Floors – Bisca

“Roof lights and glass floors are fantastic ways to add light to areas without sufficient natural daylight. In any space where a lack of ambient light is a problem, installing a roof light or glass floor can borrow light from another space without reducing usable floor space in the area where the natural light normally falls. They work especially well on staircase landings, which can be devoid of natural light.”  Richard McLane, Design Director, Bisca.

If commissioning a bespoke roof light design, it is always best to use a designer and manufacturer that will consider the project as a whole, including the area below, the light, the interfaces, the installation and maintenance, rather than simply the glazing itself.

Generally speaking, planning permission is not required although there are some limits and conditions which must be adhered to; for example, “the window must not protrude more than 15cm above the plane of the roof”, which a specialist will be able to advise on.

The panel must integrate with the surrounding area and take into account the dissemination of light. It must look pleasing from above and below whether it is to be a simple frame or a seamless extension to the roof. A rooflight should interface with existing roof materials and the design take into account all the fixtures and fittings. Cleaning and maintenance also need to be considered. To take light further down into the property, a glass floor directly under a roof light is an option.

Glass must be laminated but as far as finish goes, there are many options, including clear, frosted, tinted or even bespoke designs. A roof light that also acts as a glass floor may not be suitable for heavy traffic or if there are pets, as the glass can become scratched

Renowned for bespoke staircases, Bisca’s brief for project 3123 was to design a staircase from ground floor to first and first to second floors in a converted Victorian property. The client wanted the design to include as much natural daylight as possible through the centre of the house.

A slim, bespoke roof light offers an abundance of natural light to the new staircase, a structure of steel with continuous treads and risers of kiln-dried of oak. A second light source, this time a glass floor, ensures the natural light flows all the way down to the hallway. Bisca also designed and installed a wall of glass by the side of the staircase at the top of the house, to allow light to flood into the master bedroom. 

A walk-on roof light isn’t just for external use in a terrace or flat roof. For project 1679 the panel brings light down from the ground floor into a basement room. To get the most benefit, site the roof light near a conventional window. This walk-on roof light, designed and made by Bisca, is a laminated glass with a frosted chequerboard pattern in a handmade oak frame.

Glass roof lights from £10,000

Bisca www.bisca.co.uk