How important is sunlight to mental and physical health? It seems an obvious truth that workers are biological creatures (human beings, not machines) composed of cells that respond positively to sunlight. In fact, the California Energy Commission has issued a report on the relationship between windows and office worker performance that concludes that basic design choices — more natural light, more windows and better ventilation — can dramatically affect worker alertness, productivity and performance.
One of the more powerful conclusions of the study was that people do their best work when they can gaze out of a window and see trees and grass. The condition most significantly associated with better worker performance was having “an attractive view,” gauged primarily by the size of the view — bigger is better — and secondarily, by highervegetation content.[1]
A second study commissioned by the California Energy Commission drew a strong correlation between retail sales and daylight. Heschong Mahone Group, Inc., an architectural consulting group, using statistical regression models at 73 stores in California, found that an increase in the annual hours of useful daylight per store was strongly associated with higher sales.[2]
A similar study undertaken in educational settings was consistent with the retail research conducted by Heschong Mahone. Researchers found that students who took their lessons in classrooms with more natural light scored as much as 25% higher on standardized tests than students in the same school district who did not have the benefit of abundant daylight.
LEED for Commercial Interiors guidelines also stress access to daylight and views. Windows and skylights create a connection to nature and can also be part of energy efficient design strategies. Lower-height and elevated furniture, glass architectural walls and the use of lighter colors and surface treatments that reflect light all make the most of available natural light, while reaping the benefits of lower energy costs and enhanced employee productivity.
Not so long ago, only those lucky enough to inhabit a private office along the building perimeter enjoyed daylight views. Today, designers make sure that everyone owns daylight views. While workers have, in many cases, given up a great deal — office size, workstation storage, acoustic privacy — the mandate of daylight for all is an important gain. Natural light is a dynamic element of the built environment that impacts employee mood, health and behavior.
1.See www.thespaceplace.net/articles/hobstetter200703.htm)
2.Heschong Mahone Group, Inc. “Daylight and Retail Sales,” sponsored by the CEC PIER Program 2003
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