Hi all,

As part of a new house we’re building in CZ5, we have four skylights located towards the centre of our house plan to bring light into an otherwise very dark space. The skylight shaft for these skylights ends up being very tall — it’s close to 8′ between the ceiling plan and the top of the roof as these skylights cut through the tallest part of the unconditioned attic. 

We’re a bit concerned about the aesthetic of these super tall skylight shafts, and our architect has suggested that we should install a second pane of glass as a “lens” closer to the ceiling plane to reduce the perceived height.

My concern is that this may create a weird microclimate in the shaft and I haven’t come across any reading materials that explain the building science associated with this type of situation. Our mechanical engineer will design in some ventilation into this space, including intake to a dedicated dehumidifer (supplemental to heating/cooling via ducted heat pumps). But is that enough?

Is a pane of glass as a “lens” okay or do we instead need to be thinking about something like a decorative metal screen or grille that allows for almost unfettered air movement through this area? Let’s assume for a moment that the shaft will be well detailed and the skylight itself will be triple pane, high performance glass (likely Lamilux product from 475)

I’m including a link to an image of an example of some company that designs these type of “lenses” to illustrate what I’m describing.

http://www.solariumglassdomes.com/blog/?p=1301 

Thanks!