Daylight in buildings: so much more than just a ‘feel-good’ factor

Everyone loves a well daylit space, so it’s no surprise that bright, airy interiors are at the top of the list of design requirements for building owners and developers in all sectors. But did you know that natural daylight brings a host of benefits way beyond the obvious ‘feel-good’ factor? By NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers

Over the last thirty years or more, research has revealed that the effects of daylight on the human condition are wide ranging and in many cases, remarkable.

During this period, our lifestyles have changed dramatically throughout the developed world, with many of us now spending high proportions of our time indoors, whether at work, at home, or in our leisure pursuits. This fact has been the driver behind many independent studies across a variety of sectors, including healthcare, education, commerce and domestic dwellings.

Some of the most dramatic findings have been made from detailed and wide-ranging research carried out in hospitals and schools. Following are just a few of the remarkable facts that have been revealed:

Image courtesy of VELUX Commercial

Daylight can play a role in recovery from physical injury or health problems

A study entitled ‘Impacts of indoor daylight environments on patient average length of stay (ALOS) in a healthcare facility’ published in 2012, found that a significant relationship appears to exist between indoor daylight and a patient’s average length of stay in a hospital. 25% of the comparisons showed that, in the brighter, daylit areas, the average length of stay by patients was shorter than less well-daylit areas by 16%-41%.

Daylight can assist pain relief

A study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine in 1995 concluded that post-operative hospital patients in well daylit areas required 22% less analgesic medications during their hospitalisation.

This remarkable finding has had significant implications in terms of hospital design, patient care and benefits in terms of reduced medication side-effects treatment cost.

Daylight combats mental health conditions

Two studies have shown that exposure to natural bright light is effective in reducing depression among people with bipolar disorder or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Exposure to bright morning light has also been shown to reduce agitation among elderly hospital patients with dementia.

Daylight improves concentration and study performance

Several studies carried out in schools, have shown that daylight is not only good for children’s overall health and wellbeing, but that it can also significantly improve academic performance.

oOne such study, ‘Clever classrooms: Summary report of the HEAD project’ drawing on data from thirteen European countries and a total of 2,387 children, concluded that academic performance can increase significantly when students work in well-daylit classrooms. Students with the most daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on maths tests and 26% faster on reading tests.

Image courtesy of Lareine Engineering

Daylight reduces building energy consumption & emissions

The IEA (International Energy Agency) states that electric lighting accounts for a staggering 19% of global energy usage and the resulting emissions of harmful greenhouse gases. Introducing more natural daylight into buildings has been proven to reduce this figure by minimising the requirement for artificial lighting during daylight hours. For businesses and homeowners alike, ‘daylighting’ brings welcome reductions in energy bills as well as contributing to a more sustainable world.

…and the most efficient way to bring daylight into the built environment? Rooflights!

Rooflights provide up to three times more light than the same area of vertical glazing. They can also provide a much more even distribution of light, particularly in larger structures. Where vertical glazing exists, the effective area for natural lighting will only be within 6m of the wall containing the window. These facts are well understood by most people involved in building design. However the huge potential of rooflights to provide exactly the amount, type and distribution of natural light required to meet any given specification is not always appreciated. Rooflights can help to provide natural light with qualities appropriate to the use of the building.

NARM, the National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers, is the UK’s trade body representing rooflight suppliers and a leading impartial authority on rooflighting design – and NARM member companies are able to provide rooflights to the appropriate design and specification for a given application, together with practical advice and support.

For further information about rooflighting and details of NARM member companies:

visit www.narm.org.uk

NOTE: Publications referenced in this article are listed in issue 22 of Daylighting Magazine on page 23