Noor Abid_2016-02-19

2.2.2 Light and therapy:
“The more living the light the more appealing the places” 37
It is commonly known that sunlight is highly beneficial to human’s
health. The majority of people nowadays experience low exposure to
sunlight, as most professions require workers to stay indoors. 38
Organs responsible for hormonal regulation also benefit from daylight
and when it lacks, depression and other physical and social issues start to
develop. Natural light and interior lighting have a major impact on human’s
feelings, and the control of light is considered essential in order to promote
a healthy environment. 39
The built environment needs to utilise natural lighting by providing
architectural elements that bring light into the interior, such as skylights,
courtyards, and atriums, in order to maximise interaction between building
users and sunlight. Moreover, daylight, when approached correctly, brings
energy and joy into buildings, keeping in mind that the amount of light
varies from activity to another. 40 For instance, social and gathering spaces
can accept a higher amount of daylight than a library space.
Daylight, as known, is time dependent; it changes over the day and
over the seasons. Buildings should be aware of the direction and the
angles of sun in order to control its orientation. For example, North
orientation should be utilised when building in the southern hemisphere to
allow for direct sun exposure, stating that south facing rooms will not be
exposed to direct sun light and their interior environment might feel dull
and cold. 41
It is worth mentioning that daylight when entering the building is
exposed to other factors that may change its perception, such as colours
and textures of surfaces. The way we perceive daylight is dependent on
these elements which contribute in enhancing moods and senses. 42
Figure 2.1 Modern courtyard for residence Figure2.2 Courtyard in hospitals
http://archinspire.org/modern-two-storeyresidence-courtyard-typology/
http://www.artificialgrass.org.uk/news/sup
er_verdegrass_at_broomfield_hospital/
37 Ibid, 202
38 Ibid, 193
39 Ibid, 201
40 Carol Venolia, Healing Environments: Your Guide to Indoor Well-Being (Berkeley:
Celestial Arts,1988), 54
Figure 2.3Urban Office with windows and skylights Figure 2.4Skylight in industrial building
http://archinspire.org/modern-two-storey-residencecourtyard-typology/
http://www.nps.gov/tps/tax-incentives/bef
41 Christopher Day, Spirit and Place: Healing our Environment (Oxford: Architectural Press,
2002), 201
42 apply/qualified-expenses.htm
Ibid, 204
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