The arrangement, proportioning, and design of windows and other openings in a building's walls. It encompasses both the technical aspects of opening placement and their aesthetic composition on the facade.
From Latin 'fenestra' (window), entering English through French in the 19th century. Originally used in fortification design, it expanded to describe civilian architectural window arrangements.
Gothic cathedrals revolutionized fenestration by turning solid walls into skeletal frameworks for massive stained glass windows - the structure itself became secondary to the light-filled openings. Today's energy codes make fenestration a complex balance between natural light, views, and thermal performance.
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