Section 27-732
§ 27-732 Natural light requirements. Every habitable room shall be
provided with natural light complying with the provisions of this
subchapter.
Section 27-733
§ 27-733 Natural light sources and location. (a) Natural light, when
required, shall be provided by windows, skylights, monitors, glazed
doors, transoms, fixed lights, jalousies or other natural-light
transmitting media. Such sources shall not be located in recesses having
a width of less than six feet, and such sources shall not be located so
as to create a habitable room whose depth exceeds thirty feet, except in
dwelling units of group one construction containing more than three
habitable rooms. Such sources, except as provided in subdivision (b) of
this section, shall face or open upon the sky or upon a public street,
space, alley, park, highway, or right of way, or upon a yard, court,
plaza, or space above a setback, when such yard, court, plaza, or space
above a setback is located upon the same lot and is of the dimensions
required by the applicable provisions of the zoning resolution. Where
dwelling units in buildings or spaces classified in occupancy group J-1
or J-2 are located in a cellar or a basement such dwelling unit or units
shall have at least one-half of their height and all of their window
surfaces above every part of an "adequate adjacent space". Such
"adequate adjacent space" shall be open to the sky and shall be a
continuous surface area outside the dwelling unit or units not less than
thirty feet in its least dimension and abutting at same level or
directly below every part of the exterior walls of such dwelling unit or
units. Such "adequate adjacent space" shall include only spaces which
are located on the same lot or plot as the building or on a public
street, space, alley, park, highway or right of way and the level of
such areas which abut or adjoin the habitable room at least shall be six
inches below the window sills of any windows.
(b) Natural light sources may face or open upon an enclosed or
partially enclosed balcony or space above a setback when such balcony or
space faces upon a public street, space, alley, park, highway or right
of way or upon a yard, court, plaza, or space above a setback, when such
yard, court, plaza, or space above a setback is located upon the same
lot and is of the same dimensions required by the applicable provisions
of the zoning resolution, the maximum depth of any habitable room is at
most thirty feet measured from the outer face of the wall forming the
partial or full enclosure of the balcony or space, the enclosure of the
balcony or space is not more than one story in height, and the balcony
or space complies with either of the following:
(1) The front of the balcony or space above a setback has an opening
to the outer air whose area is equal to at least seventy-five percent of
the floor surface area of such balcony or space.
(2) The front of the balcony or space above a setback may be
completely enclosed when the building is of group one construction
provided the outer enclosing walls are glazed with clear plate glass or
with plastic equivalent complying with subdivision (e) of section 27-331
of article four of subchapter five of this chapter and such glazed wall
area is equal to at least fifty percent of the interior walls enclosing
such balcony or space and at least fifty percent of the required glazed
area is openable and no window from any bathroom, watercloset
compartment, or kitchen whose area is fifty-nine square feet or less
opens on such balcony or space.
Section 27-734
§ 27-734 Area of natural light sources. Required sources of natural
light shall have an aggregate transmitting area of at least ten percent
of the floor area of the room or space served and where an enclosed or
partially enclosed balcony or space above a setback complying with
section 27-733 of this article intervenes, the required sources of
natural light shall have an aggregate transmitting area of at least ten
percent of the combined floor area of such room and the portion of the
balcony or space directly adjoining and in front of such room. Each
required source shall have a minimum transmitting area of twelve square
feet and only that area of the light source above thirty inches from the
finished floor may be considered as providing the natural light required
in any space.