fenestrálás

Fenestrálás is the process and study of creating and organizing openings in a building’s envelope, such as windows, doors, and skylights. The term derives from the Latin fenestra, meaning “window,” and has entered Hungarian architectural vocabulary to describe both functional and aesthetic aspects of openings. In architecture, fenestrálás concerns the quantity, size, shape, spacing, alignment, and materiality of openings, as well as their relation to daylighting, ventilation, acoustics, views, privacy, and the overall rhythm and proportions of façades. It interacts with energy performance, climate considerations, and building codes, and is central in new design, renovation, and historic restoration. Modern practice often uses computational tools and BIM to optimize daylight distribution, solar gains, and glare control, while balancing views, insulation, and safety requirements.

In biology and paleontology, fenestrálás (fenestration) refers to the presence or evolution of openings, or fenestrae, in skulls or other structures. In skull anatomy, temporal fenestrae are openings behind the eye in certain vertebrate groups, allowing space for jaw muscles and influencing skull mechanics. The study of fenestration in biology informs comparative anatomy, evolutionary relationships, and functional morphology.

The concept also appears in zoological and related technical literature as a general reference to openings in surfaces, shells, or exoskeletons when describing structure and form. Overall, fenestrálás encompasses design, function, and evolution of openings across disciplines.