Since our prehistoric days, we have relied upon natural light. It is life-giving, life-sustaining. Without daylight, we would not be able to grow crops to survive. Without natural light, there would be no reason or ability to survive.
Which is all to say that natural light is more important than many of us will ever know. And thus it is no wonder that natural light plays an important role in our architecture and our structures.
The importance of natural light cannot be dismissed.
Natural Light is Inspirational
There’s something artistic about natural lighting. Although humans have advanced beyond the days of living exclusively off the land, our bodies still respond to natural lighting. We are ourselves natural creatures with an instinct to appreciate natural light, including daylight, moonlight, and the types of light that fall between. Some examples of the way that natural light inspire our spirit and bodies to perform better:
- Natural light improves mood and wards off seasonal depression.
- Exposure to natural light during the day can help improve your ability to sleep well at night.
- Students perform better in classrooms lit with natural light.
It’s no wonder that spiritual buildings like churches are built to incorporate natural light into their design. Natural lighting makes worship easier and lifts spirits. It brings peace and happiness to people.
Visually Pleasing, Complimentary of Form
Perhaps because our bodies are designed to appreciate natural light, we find it visually pleasing in almost all circumstances. Natural light turns your living room into a pleasant place to spend an afternoon. It highlights the beautiful shape of your furniture and casts attractive white light on the walls. Outside your home, natural light dapples the yard, shines sunbursts on pathways and doorways and creates a warm spot on the lawn where you can spend time reading a book.
At the workplace, natural light is no less important. Daylight makes office buildings, retail locations and restaurants a more relaxing place to spend time. It contributes to ambiance. It is as much a decoration as it is a functional part of the environment.
Natural Light is Dynamic
Another reason that natural light is so desirable is because it is always changing. It shifts throughout the day, giving us a sense of the daily cycles. With the help of natural light, we know when it’s time to wake, time to sleep, and when it’s time to go back to bed.
Financial Benefits
Last though not least, natural light has financial benefits. Use of natural lighting is practical because it allows us to turn off our electrical lights and save money on our utility bills. One study showed that rooms lit by natural light resulted in 22% savings over rooms lit by electric lights.
For a large commercial building, smart use of natural light can save hundreds of dollars per year by allowing fewer lights or even no electrical lights to be turned on during the day.
In a commercial setting, natural lighting can even help with employee retention, by creating a more pleasing environment for staff to work. People like to feel connected to the natural world throughout the work day, even when they’re working in an office setting. Some revenue studies even show higher profits due to greater productivity and reduced absenteeism.
Increase Daylight Indoors with VTECH Skylights
The famous architect Louis Kahn once said, “A room is not a room without natural light.” Let in the light at your home or place of business with VTECH skylights. With a water-tight solid-state construction and durable frame made from RIM molding with unique Reaction Injection Molding (RIM), your VTECH skylights can fill your rooms with light for decades to come. Contact us today to order your skylights.