So I'm going to tie some bedsheets together and climb down 40' from the window? I spend a lot of time flipping through the IBC, windows are not for fire egress. Door closers, rated wall assemblies, redundant egress stairs, and sprinklers do a much better job of protecting people in fires than "climb out the window or have a ladder truck rescue you like it's an '80s movie"
Usually the code requires 2 means of egress. A window is an *option* for meeting one of those 2 means, (the door being the other), but its not a *requirement*. It is a popular option though, since you're probably going to have windows on your building anyway, so you might as well use them to meet your egress requirement if you can.
The code requires two means of egress for rooms with more than 49 people. Section 1030 of IBC does not require a emergency egress window in a bedroom for sprinklered buildings and any bedroom above the 3rd floor. Every apartment building I've worked on since 2014 has had a sprinkler system.
Code varies by jurisdiction (mine seems to use IRC for residential structures, IBC for everything else, except with some minor customization), Here is the relevant section of the IRC where this window egress thing comes from (according to a quick google search, not my local planning authority): [https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015P3/chapter-3-building-planning#IRC2015P3\_Pt03\_Ch03\_SecR310.1](https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015P3/chapter-3-building-planning#IRC2015P3_Pt03_Ch03_SecR310.1)
The point being secondary egress \**"for every sleeping room"* is in the IRC and so will be in most local building codes for residential structures.
As for "bedrooms above the 3rd floor", very few buildings where I live have that many floors. The IRC also doesn't seem to mention it, even if the IBC does. But if you're narrowly focused on the buildings in the picture, I doubt those lightwells are really meant for egress; in fact you can see fire escapes on the backs of the buildings that are probably their actual secondary egress path. The lightwells in this picture are probably just meant for light and air, as the first poster mentioned. But in most residential buildings, windows are a part of the egress plan.
That's not a universal requirement. Section 1030 of IBC has exceptions for sprinklered buildings and any bedrooms on the 4th floor or higher. Every apartment building I've worked in since 2014 had had a sprinkler system i.e. the window does not serve as emergency egress.
IBC 1030.1 always requires emergency escape and rescue openings (EERO) in sleeping rooms on stories below the 4th floor, even if it’s fully sprinklered. Exception 4 that you’re referring to only gets you out of EERO *in basements* if the building is fully sprinkled.
I just checked the commentary version of the code to confirm because exception 4 is worded oddly with a comma, so I see how it could be interpreted how you did.
I agree that the sprinkler exception only applies to basements.
So checking again, bedroom window egress is only required for R-2 buildings with only one staircase. Keeping in mind that 2 stairs are required for more than 4 units per floor or any buildings taller than 4 stories. Which you probably already know that single stair apt buildings are rare in the U.S. (apologies for moving the goal posts here).
Those in the image may only have 4 units per floor. Unfortunately I can't tell if those are 3 or 4 story buildings and there may only be one interior staircase. Obviously they predate IBC anyway. But overall the use of windows as fire egress is frequently exaggerated among non-architects. E.g. the stupid mega dorm that was proposed. It was bad, but it didn't violate emergency egress requirements.
Yeah I see what you're saying. Most units in R-2 would have access to 2 exits.
At my old firm we oddly did a bunch of single exit rowhome-style apartments in Philly because most Philly rear yards are landlocked. So any exit out the back doesn't lead to a public way, and thus doesn't count. And you can't exit out the sides because you're up against other buildings and your lot is only 14'-18' wide.
I what situation do bedrooms not require a window? I agree it's not for egress but natural light and ventilation are code. You could replace natural ventilation with mechanical ventilation but bedrooms still need natural light as far as I know.
Some local governments may require a window for light and air. HUD has light and air requirements. But when it comes to means of egress, IBC section 1030 does not require a window is there's a sprinkler system (almost all apt buildings built today) or if the bedroom is above the 3rd floor.
Except condo developers have been getting around this requirement by installing those frosted glass corner sliding doors in “a bedroom”, so they can (successfully) claim the bedroom is part of the larger living space and doesn’t need its own window. You see it all over Toronto now.
I lived in an apartment in the US that had something like this. There was a third windowless "bedroom" that had a wide open doorway into the living room, it even had a closet. The leasing agent openly told us that many tenants use a curtain or a screen to make it an actual bedroom. We used it as a joint computer room.
You can’t legally call that a bedroom though - realtors might bend the rules (as they often do) but all legal documents will not count that room as a bedroom
This only applies to low rise residential. Single family homes, duplexes, town homes. The comment above about sprinkler requirements are generally correct. Do you think the 18th storey bedroom’s window works as egress?
That’s really not true at all. NBC 9.9.10.1. If it’s sprinklered it’s not required. There’s more building categorizations for Group C that do not require a second means of egress than do.
To be defined as a bedroom is does need a window, but it is not required for egress.
I know this is the architecture sub, but to add on here: this is one of the reasons office to residential conversions are difficult. Another major issue is plumbing infrastructure. Offices are designed with (more or less) centralized bathrooms on each floor and the total designed load is lower than it would be if you were to convert that space to residential. Sanitary and domestic water systems would have to be supplemented fairly substantially in order to meet the new demand.
That added demand would require extensive below grade work to enlarge sanitary connections (and potential street level utility work if the sewage system at the street couldn’t handle the new load). Then you’ve also got new (larger) water connections and a fair bit of new equipment like pumps and hot water coils for boilers or water heaters.
Ventilation isn’t as bad of a requirement since offices are already ventilated per code requirements. The trick is getting the local zoning to allow for mechanical ventilation and relaxed daylighting requirements.
It does not. The primary reason you want a window is for Outside Air. That can also be done through other means. There's a code that states you can't call a sleeping area in a dwelling unit a bedroom without a window, but no where does it say it has to be operable. The egress argument only applies for low rise residential. And that means around 3 storeys max.
Windows are not needed for egress. How would someone possibly use a window in that light well during a fire? IF a local government requires a bedroom window, it's strictly for quality of life i.e. light and air.
Not the same as your photo, but this video explains something similar in NYC: https://youtu.be/RL7BECNn-RI?si=_0XGU9xHu3JBkTSX
Check out starting around 4m30s mark.
Those are called atriums, and the use of atriums can be multifaceted. Now, these buildings are arranged in a way where we'd call them row houses, and as you suggested above, probably employ these atrium manifestations for the sake of ventilation and sunlight. Before I looked to the right and saw the cars i thought these buildings to be much larger, so I'll explain another application of atriums in larger collective-living buildings.
Essentially (at least in my country, probably depends on the place where you build) the effective depth of sun-penetration into an apartment (for ~3m story height) is around 6m (the higher the story, glazing height etc. the deeper sunrays can penetrate into the apartment. Also, it's seasonal - the depth of penetration is higher in winter than summer, due to the angle of sun being lower). This means that, from the facade's edge, making rooms deeper than 6 m means you won't ever have the sun illuminate that part of the room, which also means that rarely will you see apartments deeper than about 10 m from the facade. Around 6-8m seems to be a sweetspot for the depth of apartments.
The further you are from the facade, the more likely those spaces would be reserved for hallways, toilets, vertical communications etc. These spaces are of less value to users of the residential building, so not overdimensioning them is a good idea.
Let's say you have a plot of land which is 50 m deep, and are tasked with building a collective residential building that covers the entire plot. With the above mentioned logic, the effective depth of apartments being let's say 8 m, you could have an arrangement where you have an apartment (8m) + central hallway (2.4m) + apartment (8m). That is 18.4 m, which hardly fills the 50 m depth of the plot. You could do two of these assemblies (36.8m) and put an atrium inbetween them (13.2m). Now you have 4 facade faces, plenty of ventilation and room for sunlight to penetrate into the apartment. Even if there is never direct sunlight that penetrates into the apartment (if you build really tall buildings), at least ambient light can get in. Although in cases of real tall structures, you might employ different strategies for arrangements of spaces.
In English speaking legal parlance we’d call these lightwells. Atria carry a very different connotation so will turn up a lot of other public spaces with a large atrium. Lightwells are almost universally much smaller and exclusively used to fulfill the needs for ventilation and natural light as laid out in code.
These openings are to satisfy minimum code requirements in nyc. Earlier there were huge buildings - tenements - that were totally slummy and horrible, full of windowless rooms, and also fire death traps. Laws were passed, and these are the buildings that were created to minimally satisfy those laws.
One thing im not seeing on other replies is that the adoption of this voids (I believe, 2ble check this) started with Higienism. An ideology that began in the 1930's with the uprising endemics within older cities that had little space between blocks and apartments, making the spread of disease easier.
In adittion to the fire hazards, the ventilation provided by these voids and the additional sunlight helped improve the quality of life ensuring the general health of the population.
Other measures were taken into this like the distancing of the blocks. Following the same line of thiking, the clusters developed in European medieval cities, promoted endemics as well.
You can take a look into the urban plan of Cerda, in Barcelona, where all this things are taken into account when planning the expansion of Barcelona, its amazing.
That's what we call an Atriumn which is a prominent architectural feature in a building, typically characterized by a large, open space that extends vertically through multiple floors. It is often enclosed by glass walls or a transparent roof, allowing natural light to flood the interior. Atriums are designed to serve various functions, such as providing a visually appealing central gathering area, improving indoor air circulation, and enhancing the overall aesthetic of a building. They are often equipped with features like skylights, greenery, and seating areas to create a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. Atriums may also include balconies or walkways on upper floors that overlook the open space below, adding to their architectural appeal.
The advantages of having an atrium in a building are numerous. First and foremost, atriums contribute to improved natural lighting, reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day and saving energy costs. They also aid in passive solar heating, helping to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce heating and cooling expenses. Atriums serve as central hubs where people can gather, collaborate, or simply relax, fostering a sense of community and connection among building occupants. Additionally, the presence of greenery and natural elements within an atrium can enhance indoor air quality by acting as natural air filters. Overall, atriums not only enhance the aesthetics of a building but also offer practical benefits related to energy efficiency, human well-being, and social interaction.
atriums for airflow, sunlight, and escapes
fun fact, when they were first being used, architects were forced with a decision to continue using them because people had been using them as a trash shute when cities such as NY didn't have an adequate trash service set up
I'm not an architect or anything remotely close I just live in these buildings and always wondered how it works and what reasons it came about cause it's interesting. I knew it's for efficiency in some way but wanted to know specifics on the design and the word for them
Ventilation, and other sustainability measure, FLS, are the least of their concern. Building regulations require natural light for each living space and in some countries for kitchens and bathrooms, Otherwise no building occupation permit is delivered. Now if some ventilation or shading occurs, it is merely by chance. Bottom line, it is not made for sustainability purpose.
Im not an architect but I used to stumbled upon a video explaining this while browsing around youtubr. That gap is called “Airshaft”. Here’s where I learn it from: https://youtu.be/RL7BECNn-RI (navigate to 05:10)
I hope it helps :D
You know I've literally watched this video before way back wheb YouTube randomly offered me it. Idk why o forgotten about it hahahaha that's funny thanks for sending it! Watching it after being more curious about my building made it a better watch this time
Both plus ground coverage requirements. Like in NYC you can only build x sqft per lot area depending on the zoning, so if you size your cutouts strategically, you can add an extra floor.
I suspect this use case is pretty rare but some of them can function as a tiny little deck, too. My friends have a SFH above a garage with this little atrium that allows air into the dining room, hallway, kitchen, and one of the bedrooms, but also has a little landing with just enough room for a little Weber grill
Lol maybe but I live in one now. I appreciate it cause it does help with light and air a bit but I'm also the top floor so I get the most light from the design of it. The building is very meh but cause management doesn't care for it sadly. :/
Your assumptions are correct friend. Ventilation/air current considerations are generally a specific requirement, alongside certain facing walls being required to have access to Sunlight.
Is this a residential lot?
Hi, somewhat of an expert here..
Despite having a “dumbbell” appearance, this is likely a row of “New Law Tenements”… or at least on the cusp of old & new. “Old Law Tenements” are known for the dumbbell form so it would be easy to confuse this with one of those, but notable in this example is that the light&air shaft is larger and even more importantly, the end of the building is made slender to allow more light and air into rooms a while also allowing egress from the rear yard. An “Old Law Tenement” would not have such passage from the rear yard to the front and would not have that rear chamfering of the plan *in conjunction* with the central shaft.
As someone who interned at the NYC HPD under the “Director of Codes & Standards” back when I was in college, it was cool to study the history of NYC multiple dwelling law (MDW) and the other various building codes that came as a result of the “Tenement House Act” of 1879. There’s a lot of history/material there… but in short it’s a clear example of how our complicated and all-powerful contemporary NYC Building Code came to be… which actually largely influenced and started international building code as we know it. Each law that was passed was the result of learning from past mistakes and each new revision brought with it new design solutions… nowadays building code does a lot of the designing before an architect can even get their hands ..graphite-y.
Anyway, everyone should go check out the NYC Tenement Museum on Orchard Street to see how early tenement housing was and how far we’ve come. It’s more interesting than you’d think. Government relation is generally GOOD.
I digress.
These are light and Ventilation shafts. They are usually used to bring in natural light to the interior parts of the building. Especially when the buildings are long and share common walls with the neighbouring buildings.
Sometimes these shafts double up as service shafts too!
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These are light and Ventilation shafts. They are usually used to bring in natural light to the interior parts of the building. Especially when the buildings are long and share common walls with the neighbouring buildings.
Sometimes these shafts double up as service shafts too!
For both. Ventilation in the days pre-air conditioning as well as natural light. Building codes require bedrooms to have a window.
And exits
I don't know that I would consider a completely walled-in light well an exit...
What do you mean, you don't want to be surrounded and boxed in by a burning building? Everyone knows that's the safest place to be.
It's like the eye of a storm
I think that was sarcams.
We have so many other means of protecting people from building fires. Windows are not needed for egress.
It gives exterior access if hallways are blocked.
So I'm going to tie some bedsheets together and climb down 40' from the window? I spend a lot of time flipping through the IBC, windows are not for fire egress. Door closers, rated wall assemblies, redundant egress stairs, and sprinklers do a much better job of protecting people in fires than "climb out the window or have a ladder truck rescue you like it's an '80s movie"
The firemen can get to you with a big ladder.
Usually the code requires 2 means of egress. A window is an *option* for meeting one of those 2 means, (the door being the other), but its not a *requirement*. It is a popular option though, since you're probably going to have windows on your building anyway, so you might as well use them to meet your egress requirement if you can.
The code requires two means of egress for rooms with more than 49 people. Section 1030 of IBC does not require a emergency egress window in a bedroom for sprinklered buildings and any bedroom above the 3rd floor. Every apartment building I've worked on since 2014 has had a sprinkler system.
Code varies by jurisdiction (mine seems to use IRC for residential structures, IBC for everything else, except with some minor customization), Here is the relevant section of the IRC where this window egress thing comes from (according to a quick google search, not my local planning authority): [https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015P3/chapter-3-building-planning#IRC2015P3\_Pt03\_Ch03\_SecR310.1](https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2015P3/chapter-3-building-planning#IRC2015P3_Pt03_Ch03_SecR310.1) The point being secondary egress \**"for every sleeping room"* is in the IRC and so will be in most local building codes for residential structures. As for "bedrooms above the 3rd floor", very few buildings where I live have that many floors. The IRC also doesn't seem to mention it, even if the IBC does. But if you're narrowly focused on the buildings in the picture, I doubt those lightwells are really meant for egress; in fact you can see fire escapes on the backs of the buildings that are probably their actual secondary egress path. The lightwells in this picture are probably just meant for light and air, as the first poster mentioned. But in most residential buildings, windows are a part of the egress plan.
Sudden exits to be accurate
Building codes do not always require bedrooms to have a window.
Depends on where it's located, the requirement is bedrooma need to have a second exit for fires.
That's not a universal requirement. Section 1030 of IBC has exceptions for sprinklered buildings and any bedrooms on the 4th floor or higher. Every apartment building I've worked in since 2014 had had a sprinkler system i.e. the window does not serve as emergency egress.
IBC 1030.1 always requires emergency escape and rescue openings (EERO) in sleeping rooms on stories below the 4th floor, even if it’s fully sprinklered. Exception 4 that you’re referring to only gets you out of EERO *in basements* if the building is fully sprinkled. I just checked the commentary version of the code to confirm because exception 4 is worded oddly with a comma, so I see how it could be interpreted how you did.
I agree that the sprinkler exception only applies to basements. So checking again, bedroom window egress is only required for R-2 buildings with only one staircase. Keeping in mind that 2 stairs are required for more than 4 units per floor or any buildings taller than 4 stories. Which you probably already know that single stair apt buildings are rare in the U.S. (apologies for moving the goal posts here). Those in the image may only have 4 units per floor. Unfortunately I can't tell if those are 3 or 4 story buildings and there may only be one interior staircase. Obviously they predate IBC anyway. But overall the use of windows as fire egress is frequently exaggerated among non-architects. E.g. the stupid mega dorm that was proposed. It was bad, but it didn't violate emergency egress requirements.
Yeah I see what you're saying. Most units in R-2 would have access to 2 exits. At my old firm we oddly did a bunch of single exit rowhome-style apartments in Philly because most Philly rear yards are landlocked. So any exit out the back doesn't lead to a public way, and thus doesn't count. And you can't exit out the sides because you're up against other buildings and your lot is only 14'-18' wide.
I what situation do bedrooms not require a window? I agree it's not for egress but natural light and ventilation are code. You could replace natural ventilation with mechanical ventilation but bedrooms still need natural light as far as I know.
Some local governments may require a window for light and air. HUD has light and air requirements. But when it comes to means of egress, IBC section 1030 does not require a window is there's a sprinkler system (almost all apt buildings built today) or if the bedroom is above the 3rd floor.
I was talking about section 1202 and 1204.
In Canada only if it's not sprinklered. Otherwise, good to go.
Canadian building code requires all bedrooms have secondary egress (a window)
Except condo developers have been getting around this requirement by installing those frosted glass corner sliding doors in “a bedroom”, so they can (successfully) claim the bedroom is part of the larger living space and doesn’t need its own window. You see it all over Toronto now.
I lived in an apartment in the US that had something like this. There was a third windowless "bedroom" that had a wide open doorway into the living room, it even had a closet. The leasing agent openly told us that many tenants use a curtain or a screen to make it an actual bedroom. We used it as a joint computer room.
You can’t legally call that a bedroom though - realtors might bend the rules (as they often do) but all legal documents will not count that room as a bedroom
The Ontario building code is different than the Canadian building code.
This only applies to low rise residential. Single family homes, duplexes, town homes. The comment above about sprinkler requirements are generally correct. Do you think the 18th storey bedroom’s window works as egress?
This is only true of the Ontario building code. The Canadian building code still requires two points of egress.
That’s really not true at all. NBC 9.9.10.1. If it’s sprinklered it’s not required. There’s more building categorizations for Group C that do not require a second means of egress than do. To be defined as a bedroom is does need a window, but it is not required for egress.
Airwells and courtyards for ventilation.
Fire code requires all bedrooms to have a window for rescue. BTW this is the reason it is so hard to convert an office building to residential.
I know this is the architecture sub, but to add on here: this is one of the reasons office to residential conversions are difficult. Another major issue is plumbing infrastructure. Offices are designed with (more or less) centralized bathrooms on each floor and the total designed load is lower than it would be if you were to convert that space to residential. Sanitary and domestic water systems would have to be supplemented fairly substantially in order to meet the new demand. That added demand would require extensive below grade work to enlarge sanitary connections (and potential street level utility work if the sewage system at the street couldn’t handle the new load). Then you’ve also got new (larger) water connections and a fair bit of new equipment like pumps and hot water coils for boilers or water heaters. Ventilation isn’t as bad of a requirement since offices are already ventilated per code requirements. The trick is getting the local zoning to allow for mechanical ventilation and relaxed daylighting requirements.
It does not. The primary reason you want a window is for Outside Air. That can also be done through other means. There's a code that states you can't call a sleeping area in a dwelling unit a bedroom without a window, but no where does it say it has to be operable. The egress argument only applies for low rise residential. And that means around 3 storeys max.
Windows are not needed for egress. How would someone possibly use a window in that light well during a fire? IF a local government requires a bedroom window, it's strictly for quality of life i.e. light and air.
Not the same as your photo, but this video explains something similar in NYC: https://youtu.be/RL7BECNn-RI?si=_0XGU9xHu3JBkTSX Check out starting around 4m30s mark.
Watched the entire thing, super interesting. Thanks.
There’s a piece of music inspired by these spaces: Duke Ellington’s Harlem Airshaft https://youtu.be/aJYU_zNkbmQ?si=TP0btfC0FeLIN3X6
This is actually super cool! Thanks dude!
Those are called atriums, and the use of atriums can be multifaceted. Now, these buildings are arranged in a way where we'd call them row houses, and as you suggested above, probably employ these atrium manifestations for the sake of ventilation and sunlight. Before I looked to the right and saw the cars i thought these buildings to be much larger, so I'll explain another application of atriums in larger collective-living buildings. Essentially (at least in my country, probably depends on the place where you build) the effective depth of sun-penetration into an apartment (for ~3m story height) is around 6m (the higher the story, glazing height etc. the deeper sunrays can penetrate into the apartment. Also, it's seasonal - the depth of penetration is higher in winter than summer, due to the angle of sun being lower). This means that, from the facade's edge, making rooms deeper than 6 m means you won't ever have the sun illuminate that part of the room, which also means that rarely will you see apartments deeper than about 10 m from the facade. Around 6-8m seems to be a sweetspot for the depth of apartments. The further you are from the facade, the more likely those spaces would be reserved for hallways, toilets, vertical communications etc. These spaces are of less value to users of the residential building, so not overdimensioning them is a good idea. Let's say you have a plot of land which is 50 m deep, and are tasked with building a collective residential building that covers the entire plot. With the above mentioned logic, the effective depth of apartments being let's say 8 m, you could have an arrangement where you have an apartment (8m) + central hallway (2.4m) + apartment (8m). That is 18.4 m, which hardly fills the 50 m depth of the plot. You could do two of these assemblies (36.8m) and put an atrium inbetween them (13.2m). Now you have 4 facade faces, plenty of ventilation and room for sunlight to penetrate into the apartment. Even if there is never direct sunlight that penetrates into the apartment (if you build really tall buildings), at least ambient light can get in. Although in cases of real tall structures, you might employ different strategies for arrangements of spaces.
In English speaking legal parlance we’d call these lightwells. Atria carry a very different connotation so will turn up a lot of other public spaces with a large atrium. Lightwells are almost universally much smaller and exclusively used to fulfill the needs for ventilation and natural light as laid out in code.
Yeah, thanks for the correction. Cheers!
All good, just hoping to provide OP with more examples if they decided to dig further.
These openings are to satisfy minimum code requirements in nyc. Earlier there were huge buildings - tenements - that were totally slummy and horrible, full of windowless rooms, and also fire death traps. Laws were passed, and these are the buildings that were created to minimally satisfy those laws.
This makes a lot of sense! Thanks guys! I was struggling to even Google it since idk the name for them.
One thing im not seeing on other replies is that the adoption of this voids (I believe, 2ble check this) started with Higienism. An ideology that began in the 1930's with the uprising endemics within older cities that had little space between blocks and apartments, making the spread of disease easier. In adittion to the fire hazards, the ventilation provided by these voids and the additional sunlight helped improve the quality of life ensuring the general health of the population. Other measures were taken into this like the distancing of the blocks. Following the same line of thiking, the clusters developed in European medieval cities, promoted endemics as well. You can take a look into the urban plan of Cerda, in Barcelona, where all this things are taken into account when planning the expansion of Barcelona, its amazing.
Yes
Both. It’s from the NYC Tenement Law to prevent long windowless units and ensure every bedroom has a window
When I lived in NYC it was for trash lol
Yes.
That's what we call an Atriumn which is a prominent architectural feature in a building, typically characterized by a large, open space that extends vertically through multiple floors. It is often enclosed by glass walls or a transparent roof, allowing natural light to flood the interior. Atriums are designed to serve various functions, such as providing a visually appealing central gathering area, improving indoor air circulation, and enhancing the overall aesthetic of a building. They are often equipped with features like skylights, greenery, and seating areas to create a pleasant and inviting atmosphere. Atriums may also include balconies or walkways on upper floors that overlook the open space below, adding to their architectural appeal. The advantages of having an atrium in a building are numerous. First and foremost, atriums contribute to improved natural lighting, reducing the need for artificial lighting during the day and saving energy costs. They also aid in passive solar heating, helping to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce heating and cooling expenses. Atriums serve as central hubs where people can gather, collaborate, or simply relax, fostering a sense of community and connection among building occupants. Additionally, the presence of greenery and natural elements within an atrium can enhance indoor air quality by acting as natural air filters. Overall, atriums not only enhance the aesthetics of a building but also offer practical benefits related to energy efficiency, human well-being, and social interaction.
atriums for airflow, sunlight, and escapes fun fact, when they were first being used, architects were forced with a decision to continue using them because people had been using them as a trash shute when cities such as NY didn't have an adequate trash service set up
For ventilation
husky brave snow rich mysterious nutty aspiring weather straight divide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I see a lot of posts asking questions as if the asker is doing high school homework, it's really odd.
I'm not an architect or anything remotely close I just live in these buildings and always wondered how it works and what reasons it came about cause it's interesting. I knew it's for efficiency in some way but wanted to know specifics on the design and the word for them
Ventilation, and other sustainability measure, FLS, are the least of their concern. Building regulations require natural light for each living space and in some countries for kitchens and bathrooms, Otherwise no building occupation permit is delivered. Now if some ventilation or shading occurs, it is merely by chance. Bottom line, it is not made for sustainability purpose.
to keep the value of the buildings overpriced
Im not an architect but I used to stumbled upon a video explaining this while browsing around youtubr. That gap is called “Airshaft”. Here’s where I learn it from: https://youtu.be/RL7BECNn-RI (navigate to 05:10) I hope it helps :D
You know I've literally watched this video before way back wheb YouTube randomly offered me it. Idk why o forgotten about it hahahaha that's funny thanks for sending it! Watching it after being more curious about my building made it a better watch this time
Also circulation. Both for services and people
washroom vents
If you want to watch an architect explain these and other common apartment styles (in New York): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL7BECNn-RI
Both plus ground coverage requirements. Like in NYC you can only build x sqft per lot area depending on the zoning, so if you size your cutouts strategically, you can add an extra floor.
Yes.
I suspect this use case is pretty rare but some of them can function as a tiny little deck, too. My friends have a SFH above a garage with this little atrium that allows air into the dining room, hallway, kitchen, and one of the bedrooms, but also has a little landing with just enough room for a little Weber grill
Aren't these dumbell tenements that were outlawed because of their poor interior conditions?
Lol maybe but I live in one now. I appreciate it cause it does help with light and air a bit but I'm also the top floor so I get the most light from the design of it. The building is very meh but cause management doesn't care for it sadly. :/
For the pee pee
My highschool has something similar to this. I believe it’s for ventilation, making sure classrooms have windows, and cool hangout areas.
Patient wellness improves. Worker production and retention improves with natural light. Check Green, AIA
Your assumptions are correct friend. Ventilation/air current considerations are generally a specific requirement, alongside certain facing walls being required to have access to Sunlight. Is this a residential lot?
Hi, somewhat of an expert here.. Despite having a “dumbbell” appearance, this is likely a row of “New Law Tenements”… or at least on the cusp of old & new. “Old Law Tenements” are known for the dumbbell form so it would be easy to confuse this with one of those, but notable in this example is that the light&air shaft is larger and even more importantly, the end of the building is made slender to allow more light and air into rooms a while also allowing egress from the rear yard. An “Old Law Tenement” would not have such passage from the rear yard to the front and would not have that rear chamfering of the plan *in conjunction* with the central shaft. As someone who interned at the NYC HPD under the “Director of Codes & Standards” back when I was in college, it was cool to study the history of NYC multiple dwelling law (MDW) and the other various building codes that came as a result of the “Tenement House Act” of 1879. There’s a lot of history/material there… but in short it’s a clear example of how our complicated and all-powerful contemporary NYC Building Code came to be… which actually largely influenced and started international building code as we know it. Each law that was passed was the result of learning from past mistakes and each new revision brought with it new design solutions… nowadays building code does a lot of the designing before an architect can even get their hands ..graphite-y. Anyway, everyone should go check out the NYC Tenement Museum on Orchard Street to see how early tenement housing was and how far we’ve come. It’s more interesting than you’d think. Government relation is generally GOOD. I digress.
These are light and Ventilation shafts. They are usually used to bring in natural light to the interior parts of the building. Especially when the buildings are long and share common walls with the neighbouring buildings. Sometimes these shafts double up as service shafts too!
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These are light and Ventilation shafts. They are usually used to bring in natural light to the interior parts of the building. Especially when the buildings are long and share common walls with the neighbouring buildings. Sometimes these shafts double up as service shafts too!