Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

88 Wood Street

Architect Richard Rogers Partnership

Structural and Service Engineers Ove Arup and Partners

Client Daiwa. Europe Properties PLC

Completed in 1999, the offices at 88 Wood
Street, in the heart of the city of London, is
the first major office block built by the
Richard Rogers Partnership since Lloyds of
London was completed in 1986. Won in
competition in 1990, the original brief was to
create a prestige headquarters for the Daiwa
Banking Corporation, but the original concept
design was hit by the recession in both Japan
and London, and a new brief in 1994 called for
a speculative office block.
The building is more than a third larger
than the original concept, rising in three
linked steps of 10, 14 and 18 storeys,
comprising 22,600 m^2 of dealing and
administrative facilities. 88 Wood Street
addresses the demands of the office market

with great elegance; it it is a building of

unusual transparency.

It is this transparency which declares its

daylighting credentials; for the intention was

to provide an office building which would

maximize the use of daylight and give the

impression of being wholely lit by natural

light. The floor plates are arranged so that no-

one sits more than 13 m from a window, and

that artificial lighting is not generally required

during the day.

The windows are triple glazed on all but

the north side, with internal blinds which are

operated automatically to control solar glare.

The building’s ‘active’ fac° ade comprises the

world’s largest double glazed units, measuring

3 m by 4 m. The inner faces of the external

panes have a low E (emissivity) coating, which

further reduces internal solar gain. In addition

a third glass panel is provided to the ‘climate’

fac° ade. A 140 mm cavity between the third

panel and the double glazed units is provided

with integral horizontal venetian blinds with

perforated slats. Photo cells on the roof

monitor the external light conditions

adjusting the angles of the blinds, thus

minimizing sun glare and heat gain.

The artificial lighting is ‘daylight linked’

with the exterior light levels, to reduce the

energy required during the day; but because

the building is a speculative office block, the

individual tenants have a degree of control of

the artificial lighting system adopted for their

own areas. As one would expect, the different

tenants have developed their own areas in

terms of their own individual needs and

tastes; but the building design is robust

enough to cope with these idiosyncrasies and

a walk around the building indicates an overall

sense of quality, incorporating the latest

advances in technology and energy

conservation, and offers uninterrupted views

over the city.

78 Daylighting: Natural Light in Architecture

Building elevation, this shows a regular and

Richard Rogers Partnershipunimpeded office space across an irregular site