This family home in Kohimarama, Auckland recently underwent a renovation including an 85m² extension with a master bedroom, ensuite, living area and guest bathroom. The layout of the extension meant the guest bathroom needed to be placed on the interior of the home, with no window available for natural light or ventilation. The homeowners turned to Solatube for a smart lighting and ventilation solution that would bring natural daylight into the space.

The homeowners wanted to make smart choices when it came to lighting the bathroom. They needed to ensure there would be plenty of light throughout the day — but without relying on standard electrical lighting. “We just wanted gentle diffused light, not bright,” says the homeowner. “Solatube was perfect for that.”

After discussing options with the Solatube team, the clients decided on the Solatube with Ventilation 160DSV Brighten Up Series with a light add-on kit — a solution which would give the space natural lighting, ventilation and electric lighting in one. 

Solatube’s 160DSV Brighten Up Series features Raybender 3000 technology to capture daylight at low angles while blocking harmful UV rays, making it ideal for brightening small, dark spaces like the guest bathroom. The system is BRANZ appraised, and comes with a 10-year leak proof guarantee, giving architects and designers peace of mind that they are selecting a high performance system that meets the rigours of the NZBC. 

Importantly for spaces like bathrooms and kitchens, the system comes with an add-on ventilation kit that extracts up to 53L of air per second. The fan is located in the roof ensuring supremely quiet operation while keeping spaces well ventilated and odour-free.

Installation of the Solatube system for the bathroom was completed quickly and efficiently by a Solatube Certified licensee — with the three-in-one system helping to minimise the number of trades needed. “Having daylighting, lighting and ventilation in one system really simplified installation as it was all done by the certified Solatube licensee,” says the homeowner. 

The end result is a light, airy and well ventilated bathroom that doesn’t suffer for lack of a window. “We’re really happy with the Solatube and the consistency of light it brings to the space,” says the homeowner. “It doesn’t matter if it's early morning or late in the day, we still have the same light levels. During the day it doesn’t require any electric lighting at all, and the light is diffused, so it’s never too bright, making it a really comfortable room.”