Book excerpt: To complement the critical and objective view gleaned from the study of some sixty buildings, this design manual has been developed to provide a more synthetic approach to the principles which lie behind successful daylight design. These principles are illustrated with examples drawn from the case study buildings. The emphasis throughout has been on practical methods to improve design, rather than techniques studied for any intrinsic interest. The book provides the necessary tools to assist the designer to provide well daylit interiors, and shows that good daylight design is not a restriction on architectural expression but, on the contrary, acts as an inspiration and foundation for good architecture.