Lounge, kitchen and hallway all now naturally-lit by Solatube ...

Architect Nicholas Halton bought a riverside plot and planned to turn the existing bungalow into two-storey accommodation that would incorporate both a living area for his family and space for his practice.

Now there are three bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor while the property still fits within the footprint of the former building. His objective was to give all areas of the property a light and airy feel by introducing natural light into the lounge, kitchen and landing.

Through his work in residential and commercial properties, Nic was both familiar with tubular skylights and aware that there are significant differences in the performance of various suppliers' solutions. This knowledge made him determined to specify Solatube Daylight Systems.

Although the living room has large windows and casement doors, extra help was needed to achieve a well-lit environment. By installing a Solatube, bright daylight comes in - even when the sun is very low.

In the long narrow kitchen, a longer tube length was required to bring light from the tiled, pitch roof. Solatube's super reflective material means that light is transferred extremely effectively and there is no need for daytime electric lighting in the room even with the longer tube length.

For the windowless stairwell, daylight is piped through a Solatube Daylight System in the loft to the first floor landing. The landing area, stairwell and hall below are now brilliantly lit with bright, natural light - no need for electric lighing during the day!

"The Solatube range offers a number of benefits over other products. Their roof seals are much better so that no water or dirt enters the tube. They also transfer more light from roof to room than any other tubular skylight and their design means that they look more attractive both inside and outside my house."

Nicholas Halton, Architect