Light on one side of a room.

In Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language, (a favorite book) one of the patterns described is 'light on two sides of every room':

When they have a choice, people will always gravitate to those rooms which have light on two sides, and leave the rooms which are lit only from one side unused and empty.

This pattern, perhaps more than any other single pattern, determines the success or failure of a room. The arrangement of daylight in a room, and the presence of windows on two sides, is fundamental. If you build a room with light on one side only, you can be almost certain that you are wasting your money. People will stay out of that room if they can possibly avoid it. Of course, if all the rooms are lit from one side only, people will have to use them. But we can be fairly sure that they are subtly uncomfortable there, always wishing they weren't there, wanting to leave - just because we are so sure of what people do when they do have the choice.

This is one affirmed in my own experience. I knew from photos sent to me that my studio here would be light-challenged. The significant windows are on the smallest wall of the space - the southern wall. I had hoped that a side window - the only other window - on the north side of the studio would fufill this need for a second source of light. Unfortunately, that window opens to an interior entryway and as a result, provides almost no light.

The situation is further complicated in that it is essentially a retail space. It is entirely understandable that people walking down the street are inclined to peer into store-front windows. What are store-front windows for anyway? I treated two of the large windows with a translucent material in an attempt to provide privacy without eliminating sunlight. A few days ago - on a day I felt particularly depressed by the situation - I treated the last large window as well. But it remains dark in here and the place feels very cavelike. After a few hours of working here it is necessary to get out and breathe and take in the light. Cafes become a necessary refuge.

Light on two sides of a room - Cafe Ladro

I guess I am in a bad mood. What, with a visit to the DMV that did not result in getting anything done, and having a store clerk attempt to overcharge me $15 and - last but not least - having my iBook crash, it hasn't been a very good day.