The Role of Motorized Shades in Modern Architectural Design

There was a time when window treatments were primarily used to keep the sun out during the day and maintain a private dwelling at night. Today, they play a key role in a home’s aesthetics, elevating its beauty and design.

Blackout shades bring darkness to bedrooms. Elegant draperies create a sense of timelessness. Horizontal sheer blinds combine the beauty of delicate fabric with the blind’s precise control of sunlight.

With the advent of motorized shades, their functionality grew exponentially, protecting the home’s interior and reducing energy usage while managing natural light’s beauty. 

Here, we’ll explore how architects are using today’s shading technology and advanced design to set the mood, enhance privacy, and define the parameters of natural light.

SEE ALSO: 5 Considerations for Architects Incorporating Smart Home Automation

Natural Light as a Design Element

Natural light is an essential design element, playing a significant role in ambient lighting. When strategically incorporated, it enhances a home environment, creates a sense of space, brings the outdoors in, improves well-being, and reduces the need for artificial light. 

Motorized shading manages this light, bringing in the sun’s diffuse light while protecting the home from direct UV rays. Filtered sunlight highlights the textures, materials, and stone in a home’s design. Families wake to sunlight gently nudging them as the window coverings open. When evening arrives, these shades lower in perfect unison, providing privacy and protection.

By specifying opacity and automating each window covering’s movement, your clients experience maximum sunlight exposure without interior damage. Opacity refers to a textile's weave. Sheer shades let daylight in and retain the views, creating a space that maintains its connection to nature and the outdoors. Translucent shades let in a soft, filtered glow. 

Automation creates natural light that changes throughout the day as shades adjust based on the time, activity, or need for glare reduction. Taking full advantage of customized scheduling often requires the support of an integrator. 

Layering Styles and Opacities

Your integration partner will consider the window’s direction and how the room is used when selecting opacities and styles. For instance, windows that receive significant direct sunlight benefit from roller shades with a solar screen to control glare and protect the interior from fading. 

In other rooms, sheer draperies or Roman shades add style, enhancing and aligning with the home’s design. Honeycomb shades add a layer of insulation, reducing heat gain in the summer and cold drafts in the winter.

Motorized shades can also be customized for unique architectural windows and skylights.

Automation for Enhanced Functionality and Design

While opening and closing window coverings from anywhere offers extreme convenience, automation provides effortless control. Shades manage daylight and privacy by adjusting according to the temperature, direction of the sun, and time of day. Their functionality not only makes life easier but also adds to the home’s overall design.

Early Integration

As more homeowners embrace minimalism and sleek design, it’s important to consider recesses and window frames that accommodate shades without disrupting your client’s decor. Adding these elements during the initial design phase ensures an uninterrupted design and clean aesthetics. 

At SmartHome Solutions, Inc., as expert integrators and partners with leading manufacturers, we work with architects, supporting their design while taking care of sourcing, installation, and programming. To learn more about motorized shading solutions and the latest industry trends, contact SmartHome Solutions, Inc. or sign up for our newsletter.