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Bringing Sunshine into North Carolina’s Homes

Our homes are too dark; can we design brighter ones?

Single Stair North Carolina, Julie Powers, and Brenna Belcher
Jan 06, 2026
∙ Paid

If you’ve ever walked into an apartment that felt dark and gloomy, even on a sunny day, you’ve already experienced how deeply natural light affects our mood and well-being. Daylight doesn’t just make a space look good; it changes how we feel in it. The soft glow of morning light, the golden wash of afternoon sun; these are things that make a home feel alive. Yet, as more people move into cities and new housing options like condos and mid-rise apartments become the norm, one crucial question often gets overlooked: are we still getting enough sunlight in our homes?

It turns out, not all housing types are created equal when it comes to daylight. Between townhomes, condos, and single-stair apartment buildings, some designs naturally support better lighting and air quality than others. As cities across the U.S. face growing housing demands, understanding which housing types best bring in natural light isn’t just an architectural curiosity, it’s a matter of everyday comfort and health.

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Single Stair North Carolina's avatar
A guest post by
Single Stair North Carolina
North Carolina needs more walkable neighborhoods and better family-sized housing options. Single-stair apartments help make that possible, and we’re working to legalize them statewide. Created in partnership with @CITYBUILDERNC
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Julie Powers's avatar
A guest post by
Julie Powers
writing about architecture and urban design
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Brenna Belcher's avatar
A guest post by
Brenna Belcher
NCSU Architecture Student
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