The Importance of Daylighting in a Building

-

The two primary reasons for using daylight to meet the illumination requirements of an architectural space are the psychological benefits and the energy savings benefits.

 Good daylighting has been shown to improve the overall attitude, satisfaction and well being of building occupants. A number of research studies, a few of which are listed below, have shown a variety of benefits of daylighting in different building types and functions, among them improved retail sales in big box stores, increased worker productivity and reduced absenteeism in office buildings, improved student educational performance in K–12 schools, and improved patient recovery times in hospitals. Exposure to daylight has also been shown to improve general health and circadian rhythm. These psychological benefits can easily justify any extra design effort or added expense associated with introducing controlled daylight into buildings.

Daylighting, with proper electric lighting controls, can result in significant energy savings by reducing electric lighting loads and associated cooling loads. In addition, with proper solar control, solar gains during cooling load periods can be mitigated and solar gains during heating load periods can be utilized, reducing the energy requirements of both cooling and heating a space.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Decide Between Hiring an Architect or an Interior Designer

-
Image
The big question is: What’s the difference? You want a new home from top to bottom, so who do you hire— An architect? An interior designer? Or both? Few people realize that many designers have some knowledge and training in architecture, similarly, many architects have knowledge and training in design. While both these professions revolve around home and building design, there remain some skills that necessitate the hiring of one over the other. Here we will outline all you need to know, helping you decide whether it’s a designer or architect that you need to call. What Do Architects Do? The best way to know who to hire is to first know what each professional does.  Here is an outline of the key tasks and job responsibilities of an architect (see below for Interior Designers): Architects design ALL types of buildings—not just homes. Hospitals, hotels, churches, commuter stations etc. are commonly on an architects to-do list After communication with all those involv
Read more

Commercial Interior Design

-
Image
Designing interiors for commercial properties is a tricky business. The space must be efficient and cost-effective, but also create a unique and engaging experience. To further compound the problem, expectations are constantly evolving, so businesses must regularly adapt their interiors to reflect current tastes of their consumers, visitors, and employees. Fortunately, some modern trends are helping them stay nimble with their designs. 1. Deep Tones Reflecting the inherent beauty of nature, deep cooling tones are the flavor of the year. Look to use charcoals and greys tinged with greens. Combine them with ivory, stone, and taupe for balance. If this all seems a bit reserved, then add a few splashes of fiery paprika or zesty lime for color. 2. Super-scale and geometric patterns Small-scale designs have long been expected from hotel or hospital flooring around the country. But expect to see them phased out over 2018 in favor of more dramatic, large-scale,
Read more

Vernacular Architecture and the 21st Century

-
Image
Vernacular architecture, the simplest form of addressing human needs, is seemingly forgotten in modern architecture. However, due to recent rises in energy costs, the trend has sensibly swung the other way. Architects are embracing regionalism and cultural building traditions, given that these structures have proven to be energy efficient and altogether sustainable. In this time of rapid technological advancement and urbanization, there is still much to be learned from the traditional knowledge of vernacular construction. These low-tech methods of creating housing  which is perfectly adapted to its locale are brilliant, for the reason that these are the principles which are more often ignored by prevailing architects. Vernacular architecture originated when mankind was forced to make use of the natural resources around him, and provide himself shelter and comfort which is responsive to the climate, a shield from the elements. It is a pure reaction to an individual person’s or soc
Read more