October 2, 2026

Principal Matthew Lella and Senior Associate Haley Zhou joined CBC's Découverte for a segment titled "Natural Light in Architecture: So Much More Than Just Brightness." The segment explores how architects anticipate the movement and quality of natural light, and how those decisions influence our experience of a space, with the McGill Sustainability Park featured as one of three projects. 

At the McGill Sustainability Park (beginning at 6:17), the revitalization of the historic Royal Victoria Hospital and its new additions will open the site at the base of Mount Royal to the neighbouring community and the city. Natural light carries that sense of openness into the building. Four skylights will span the forecourt above classrooms and a large atrium, and five additional skylights will be integrated into the new and existing construction to bring daylight and views of the sky deep into the interior. 

The approach echoes the qualities of the 1890s hospital rooms, whose narrow proportions and generous windows brought an abundance of natural light into patient spaces. As Matthew explains, the renovation restores that relationship with beautiful daylight. 

For Matthew, the value goes well beyond functional illumination. "Too often, light is conceived only as something necessary for functions: can we read, can we see a screen. But for me, light has much more to give. Without light, we lack the most fundamental sense for understanding our environment" (8:32). He also describes how access to natural light can encourage interaction among researchers and students and contribute to the life of the building (10:14).

Achieving that quality of light takes design intent and careful testing. With nine skylights proposed across the project, Haley and the design team used solar radiation studies and digital simulations to understand where glare could occur and how conditions would change through the day and year (14:16). "Depending on the orientation of the windows and the angle of the sun, a room can quickly become uncomfortable," Haley explains. He adds that glare is particularly important to manage in a classroom, where people need to concentrate, compared with transitional spaces like an atrium or corridor. The studies informed the use of glass with screen-printed patterns that diffuses the daylight across the forecourt while reducing glare.

Physical models complemented the simulations and provided another way to test the design. By directing light onto a model, the team could observe shadows and changing light conditions that closely mimic a sunny day (17:06). "With a physical model, you can't cheat," Haley says. "There are no artifacts. It gives a very realistic view of the effect of light. Models also help us design the volumes." 

Even with that rigour, the finished building will still hold surprises. “When we see our buildings built, there are plenty of other layers we come to understand. It's the way light interacts with the forms we imagined”, says Lella.

The Découverte episode was broadcast on September 27, 2026 on ICI Radio-Canada Télé.

The French-language segment offers a closer look at how the design team is studying daylight at McGill Sustainability Park, from early physical models to digital simulations. Watch the whole episode.