Two proposals aimed at closing a loophole that contributed to the trend of windowless dormitories and other habitable spaces advanced at the International Code Council Public Comments Hearings in Hartford, Connecticut, April 18-24. The National Glass Association, working alongside the Glazing Industry Code Committee, the American Institute of Architects, the Aluminum Extruders Council and Professor Juan Miro of UT Austin, has been a strong supporter of both.
The proposals passed the first round of the hearings in October 2025.
G143-25 addresses natural light in Group R occupancies such as dorms and apartments while G144-25 addresses natural light in classrooms. “Together, they represent a practical, technical effort to modernize code requirements around occupant well-being, daylighting and building performance,” wrote NGA’s Urmilla Jokhu-Sowell, vice president of Advocacy and Technical Services, on LinkedIn.
The online governmental consensus vote, which runs May 8-22, is the next step in these proposals. “We are encouraged by the public hearing outcome and will stay engaged through the final phase of the process,” says Sowell.
Sowell thanked Lisa Heschong, whose daylighting and “right to light” work helped shape the thought process behind these proposals, as well as thanking the technical and advocacy contributors who championed this effort.
“This progress reflects strong collaboration across the industry,” Sowell wrote. “NGA has been proud to work alongside GICC, The American Institute of Architects, the Aluminum Extruders Council, and Prof. Juan Miro of UT Austin, to move these proposals forward and keep attention on an issue that directly affects how people live, play, learn, work and heal.”
The Proposals
G143-25: Addressing windowless living spaces
The first proposal, G143-25, introduced by Professor Juan Miro of University of Texas at Austin and Miro Rivera Architects, targets residential daylighting requirements. It mandates that Group R habitable spaces intended for living and sleeping, such as bedrooms and living rooms in apartments, dormitories and hotels, must have natural light through exterior glazed openings or be provided with artificial light, with certain exceptions. The minimum net glazed area must be at least 8% of the floor area of the room served, and these exterior openings should open directly onto a public way, yard or court. The proposal excludes bathrooms, closets and hallways, and closes a previous loophole that allowed developers to use only artificial lighting without providing any natural light.
G144-25: Bringing daylight into classrooms
The second proposal, G144-25, focuses on educational facilities. Extensive research by Lisa Heschong shows that adequate natural lighting in educational settings improves student development. Introduced by Nicholas Resetar, an industry code consultant and shareholder at Roetzel & Andress representing GICC, along with Thom Zaremba of Roetzel & Andress (representing NGA) and Tom Culp of Birch Point Consulting (representing AEC), the proposal requires that in Group E occupancies, no less than 50% of all classrooms be provided with natural and artificial light, except in daycare facilities located within a different primary occupancy.