Significance Of Adequate Daylight In Buildings
Sep 06, 2016 By  Fenesta
A brighter ambience for an inspiring and healthy atmosphere.
Our busy lives have realigned our priorities in a way that we now place convenience and monetary gains before health and aesthetics. We limit ourselves to a stagnant and artificial atmosphere of air conditioning and Compressed Florescent Lighting (CFL), even during the day.
In the long run, these conditions can severely affect our physical and psychological well-being, and cause environmentally detrimental changes as well. Therefore, it is vital that we understand the repercussions and work towards healthier and more natural lifestyles.
The easiest and the most effective way to make this change is by increasing exposure to warm and invigorating sunlight and letting it pour in our living and working spaces.
Daylight for Morale
Our surroundings play a major role in influencing our behavior. A study by Texas A&M Design has showed that patients in rooms with large windows and ample amount of natural light recovered faster. Regardless of the room size, sufficiently large windows admitting sunlight makes them look significantly more lively and accommodating.
Moreover, it is proven that a well-lit interior is more likely to encourage us to be active and productive. Educational institutes and professional workplaces should take utmost notice of this fact to boost performances of their students and workforce.
A statistical report by HMG Clinical Studies reveals that students in a brighter classroom with windows performed 10% better than the ones with dim interiors. These studies are proof that adequately bright ambience with roomier uPVC windows improve general temperament and motivates us to focus better.
Daylight for Sustainability
Environmental protection and sustainable usage of energy resources is the need of the hour. As the weather becomes more unpredictable every year, most of our energy requirements stem from temperature regulation and lighting – even during the day when they can be easily controlled with simple improvements in architecture.
Our dependence on electricity for these purposes is unnecessarily adding significantly to our bills while burning that much more fuel. Due to poorly planned and shortsighted construction of buildings, most of our homes and offices lack exposure to natural light, creating a dingy environment that increases our chances of falling ill and reducing our working efficiency.
Adequate natural lighting improves the quality of air and contributes to a healthier atmosphere. Ideally, opt for rooms that have strategically located windows, allowing ample natural light and cross ventilation, thereby decreasing costs of both air conditioning and artificial lighting during the day.
Daylight for Health
The first thing that every doctor recommends to a patient who is going through recovery or is in physical strain is plentiful exposure to natural environment and a bright cheery atmosphere. This is because our mood and our thought process have a direct influence over our body.
Exposure to direct sunlight improves metabolism and production of essential vitamins while boosting uptake of minerals and other necessary nutrients. All these factors contribute in building our body’s innate immunity keeping us free from various diseases.
Soft, naturally lit environments with airy windows are ideally recommended for people with psychological illnesses. The proximity to environments that are more natural and the influx of natural light is soothing for anxiety and stress disorders. This helps reset the body’s natural circadian rhythm, curing sleep disorders like insomnia. Additionally, serotonin is a hormone that these patients lack. When our bodies are subject to environments that are more natural, the relaxation induces rise in serotonin levels in the blood.
These are just highlights of the difference being closer to nature can make to our confined lifestyles. Losing touch with nature is one of the gravest mistakes we commit every day. This happens because we do not understand the gravity of the influence our surroundings have on our every action and thought. We tend to imbibe a lot from our surroundings; therefore, we need to move out of our bubbles of convenience and artificial environments to embrace a healthier and more natural lifestyle.
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