Let’s face it: we don’t always get enough sunshine in the UK. In the winter months, office workers can see little to no daylight – setting off for work before the sun comes up and leaving the office after the sun goes down.   

Maximising natural light in the workplace can have a huge impact on everything from employee morale to productivity. So, how can we make the most of natural daylight?

In this article, we’ll explore:

• Why daylight boosts employee mood and morale
• What this means for your productivity levels
• Key workplace design considerations that maximise natural lighting
• Other benefits of natural lighting – such as energy efficiency 

‍

‍

Daylight makes us feel good

A day outdoors will likely leave you feeling more fulfilled and calm. It’s more than a mood booster – it helps keep us healthy.

But working from an office rarely allows for leisurely hours spent outdoors. Sitting outside to do a conference call sounds great, but not necessarily practical. 

So what’s the impact? According to a poll by Get More Vitamin Drinks, just under half of office workers believe their work suffers as a direct result of lack of sunlight – with productivity dropping rapidly from around 2pm. While the effects of daylight are rooted in science, it’s not complex to understand. When employees are exposed to daylight, they feel happier, healthier and more motivated, which boosts productivity. 

‍

Morning daylight helps employees rest

Morning daylight helps us sleep better. Bright morning light makes us feel alert and releases serotonin – the happy hormone – setting the right tone for the day.

But with only 6.5 hours of daylight in the winter months, you can’t count on that morning commute for your AM daylight boost. That’s why it’s fundamental to have adequate lighting in the workplace. That winter sun shining through and brightening up your space has the power to calibrate our body clocks so employees are refreshed after a good night’s sleep. 

‍

Natural light: prime office real estate

Why do we always ‘fight for the window seat’? Well, it’s an innate need! Humans crave natural daylight, so we naturally drift towards brighter spaces. But not everyone can claim that prime window seat…

‍

How do you share out the daylight?

The layout and positioning of every office building is different, so tracking the sun’s path and analysing how to optimise daylight within your office is crucial.

However, here are the ‘basics’ of great workplace lighting:

• Use bright and light areas for collaborative spaces
• Reserve darker, shadier areas for comms rooms and storage rooms
• Position workstations near windows
• Consider an open-plan layout that allows light to penetrate deeper into the office
• Think about glass partitions, reflective surfaces, skylights and roof windows
• Primary daylight is best for main workstations
• Secondary daylight is best for enclosed offices and meeting spaces

‍

Creating more light for a leading Financial Services company in Manchester

As part of our design process, we tracked the sun’s path and analysed how employees work. Generally, employees are more productive in naturally lit spaces, so we defined where these areas could be, and then placed storage rooms, comms rooms and other areas with less human use closer to the core, away from natural light. 

Remember, not everyone feels the same

Employees have diverse needs, and while it’s easy to assume everyone thrives in natural daylight, there will always be exceptions. From flexible seating arrangements to adjustable window coverings, you can offer your employees the chance to tailor their environment. 

‍

Lighten up and save energy!

So, we know that optimising natural light benefits our health and productivity – but what about the cost-saving and environmental impact?

Natural light can reduce energy use for lighting by up to 75%. As a natural resource, it has zero carbon footprint, meaning you can keep the lights switched off for longer. It also has huge cost-saving benefits, which reduces the need for artificial lighting.

‍

“Daylight has been used for centuries as the primary source of light in interiors and has been an implicit part of architecture for as long as buildings have existed. Not only does it replace electric light during daytime, reducing energy use for lighting, it also influences both heating and cooling loads, which makes it an important parameter of an energy-efficient design.” – VELUX

‍

What about intense heat and glare from sunlight?

Can it be controlled? We might love the sunshine, but there’s no denying it can hamper productivity when it’s streaming through your window on a blazing-hot day. Designing around the sun’s path and your window layout can help avoid this.

• South-facing windows admit sunlight during the winter but little direct sunlight during the summer
• North-facing windows admit relatively even natural light, with little glare and almost no unwanted summer heat gain
• East- and west-facing windows provide good daylight in both the morning and the evening, but may cause glare, admit a lot of heat during the summer, and contribute little to solar heating during the winter.

‍

Missing out on daylight – a costly error?

What happens when employees don’t get enough daylight? Most commonly, mood drops – as do productivity levels. A study by Future Workplace found that 38% of employees lose 60 minutes of working time when their emotional wellness is suffering. That quickly adds up. 

But there’s plenty we can do to improve natural lighting in a workplace – to boost happiness, health, productivity and efficiency.

‍

Let’s make your workspace bright, healthy and productive

Get in touch to learn more about how we can help you make this happen.

‍