This research investigates the design constraints and potential of applying the remote source solar lighting system to the enclosed lift lobbies of high-rise residential buildings in Hong Kong. No natural light is usually provided to these lift lobbies, which depend on electric lighting for illumination. The application of conventional light pipes requires minimum 3 m headroom and is not feasible to be applied in the high-rise residential buildings of 2.8 m floor height in Hong Kong. A remote source solar lighting system is specifically designed to solve the headroom problem. The daylighting system uses small diameter side-emitting fiber optic as light transmission medium. The factors of solar altitude, solar azimuth angle and solar irradiance are investigated. The shadowing effects caused by neighboring buildings and the supporting framework are analyzed in details. Design parameters of the natural daylight system are defined. Design guidelines and a model design are developed as a reference for building designers in designing a remote source solar lighting system. The design addresses both the functional application as well as the esthetic design. The remote source daylighting system can be integrated into the architectural design of the external facade and lift lobbies. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.