How to Add Natural Light in Your Office: Benefits, Ideas, and Steps
Add natural light to your office starts with selecting the room.
Select a room that has south-facing windows.
You will get most of the daylight if your room is on the southern side.
And to let the sunlight in, you should have big windows in the room as well.
If possible, you can even add a skylight..! But with cement building homes in the planes is not possible.
But I have seen large rooms with skylights in the mountains.
This looks pretty and functional aaand saves electricity.
What are the ideas on how to add natural light in your office?
1. Increase the Amount of Natural Light
- Place mirrors across from window walls in order to bounce light back into the room. Mirrors can help make a space feel larger, which can also help boost creativity levels.
- Use pale colors throughout your workplace. Dark colors tend to absorb light and heat whereas pale colors tend to reflect light, therefore maximizing the impact of the natural light that filters in.
- Embrace glossy finishes. Glossy finishes, as well as shiny, metallic, and glassy objects can create a mirror effect. But not a glossy table, that will attract finger marks.
- If possible, incorporate glass in all of your doors. This allows light to move from one room to the next.
- Use high-glass and reflective tiles in your office where possible. I have white and wood-like tiles and they reflect the light.
- Say goodbye to window drapery and curtains, or alternatively, choose light/transparent materials and light colors.
- Avoid light-absorbing materials and elements like opaque carpets and panels on walls and floors.
- If possible, add skylights; not only will they maximize natural light, they will also significantly reduce electricity bills.
- Avoid placing tall and bulky furniture near windows as this can reduce the amount of natural light that enters the room. In one of our rooms, we have one almirah right beside the window and it sucks in all the light coming in.
- Clean windows and furniture often! Dust tends to accumulate quickly and it absorbs light, so make sure your windows and furniture are clean of dust.
- Use light-toned and polished wooden floorboards, as they are great light reflectors.
By incorporating these steps, you can create the illusion of natural light in your office and take advantage of its many benefits.
Natural light helps regulate our circadian rhythm, reduces feelings of tiredness and gloominess, and increases productivity levels.
2. Use Daylight Bulbs Instead of Traditional Bulbs
Using daylight bulbs since these bulbs replicate the natural colour temperature and brightness of daylight, meaning that the light produced is more comfortable than the harsh lights.
You can have a variety of ceiling lights, accent lights, and lamps can make this possible.
Daylight harvesting, or the use of daylight to offset the use of electricity, is yet another great way to add natural light to the office.
Lastly, fluorescent light filters can help transform harsh fluorescent light into full-spectrum natural light, making it almost identical to afternoon sunlight.
3. Alter the Layout of Your Office
Altering the layout of your office can add natural light and boost both morale and productivity.
By re-organizing the desk layout, you can ensure more light is felt across all desks, rather than just a few.
A new layout often helps our mind as well!
Studies show that exposure to daylight can positively affect productivity and overall health, making a well-lit office space an invaluable asset.
4. Install Windows or Transom Windows
Installing windows or transom windows to add natural light to your office can be a simple process if you know the right steps. Here’s how you can do it:
Start by measuring the area where you want to install the window or transom window. Be sure to note the exact height, width, and depth of the space.
Depending on the size of the space, you may need to purchase a custom-made window or transom window.
Install with the help of a professional.
I would not tinker with the wooden window frame or metal myself.
5. Use Wall Sconces for Accent Lighting
Wall sconces are a great way to add accent lighting to your home office.
They can be used to draw attention to specific objects or elements in the room, adding visual interest and dimension.
If you have a low amount of natural light coming in then scones might help.
6. Use Plants and Other Decorative Items (Consolation Prize 1)
Use plants that thrive in low light, such as peace lilies, snake plants, philodendrons, palms, and ferns.
They might make you feel at peace even though there is no outside light.
Choose oversized artwork or commission a mural that depicts nature scenes to simulate the view from a window. This will help to lighten the room and bring a positive atmosphere.
7. Invest in Task Lights for Increased Productivity (Consolation Prize 2)
Task lights provide controlled lighting that helps to reduce eye strain, headaches, and fatigue, which all contribute to a decrease in productivity.
Further, task lights create a mood in the office space that can inspire and motivate employees, leading to a more engaging and productive work environment.
8. Consider Adding a Sunroom
Adding a sunroom to your office can be a great way to bring more natural light into the space.
Sunrooms are typically built with large windows that allow in maximum daylight, making them ideal for improving the amount of light in an office.
They also provide a sense of privacy and separation from the rest of the office, allowing for more focused work time.
Besides, sunrooms can act as an area for relaxation or meetings in the middle of the workday.
9. Install Skylights
It is best to position the skylight in front of or next to work surfaces and computer screens in order to take advantage of natural light without glare or shadows.
What Are the Benefits of Adding Natural Light to Your Office?
1. Increased productivity
The connection between natural light and productivity has been well documented, with studies showing productivity can increase by up to 5-40% when companies move to buildings with improved natural light.
The reasons for this connection may be due to the fact that exposure to light and dark regulates the human body clock and our daily rhythms, meaning light=more alert and dark=sleepy/drowsy.
Natural light can have a positive effect on employee engagement and collaboration, which both lead to increased productivity.
A lack of natural light can negatively impact energy levels, leading to employees feeling tired and less productive.
To offset this, it is beneficial to add lighting that can be adjusted to complement existing natural light from windows.
2. Reduced stress and anxiety
Adding natural light to your office can help reduce stress and anxiety through improved sleep patterns, enhanced mood, and better overall health.
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Reports has shwon that workers exposed to natural light experienced an 84 percent drop in issues such as headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision, which can lead to increased fatigue.
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Furthermore, as per a study done by the University of Oregon, those with views of the outside and a decent amount of sunlight took 6.5 percent less sick leave than those who had less exposure to natural light.
By introducing natural light into the office, you not only create a connection to the outdoors, but you can also improve productivity and work performance.
3. Improved mood and well-being
Adding natural light to an office environment can significantly improve the mood and overall well-being of workers. Exposure to sunlight boosts the brain’s serotonin production, which is a mood-enhancing biochemical.
In addition, the same study from above has shown that workers with exposure to natural light experienced an 84 percent drop in issues such as headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision.
This can lead to increased energy and better overall mental health.
Furthermore, studies have found that people who sit by the window sleep for 46 minutes longer a night on average compared with those who don’t, which can help to reduce fatigue and bolster productivity.
Finally, access to natural light can create a connection to the outdoors, which can help to promote better overall health and fight off depression, diabetes, and chronic pain.
4. Improved concentration and focus
Adding natural light to an office environment can dramatically improve concentration and focus.
The quality of the view from a person’s desk and their exposure to natural light are interconnected with the amount of sick time they take, and workers exposed to natural light can experience an 84 percent drop in issues such as headaches, eyestrain, and blurred vision.
By ensuring maximum light is felt across the office, the entire team can benefit from improved focus and concentration.
5. Reduced fatigue
A poll of North American employees found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors is the number one attribute of the workplace environment, outranking other amenities.
Vitamin D from natural light can also promote better health, such as fighting depression and diabetes and reducing chronic pain.
Furthermore, companies with aspirational workplaces that include natural light are better at attracting and retaining top talent.
Ultimately, natural light can regulate the human body clock and increase alertness, leading to a decrease in fatigue.
6. Increased energy
Adding natural light to an office has been shown to significantly increase energy levels in employees.
Exposure to natural light helps to regulate the human body clock, providing more alertness during the day and reducing fatigue.
This helps to improve sleep patterns, resulting in better overall health, fewer sick days, and greater productivity.
Natural light also helps to reduce eyestrain and headaches, while increasing engagement and collaboration among employees.
In addition to improving well-being, natural light also provides opportunities to daylight harvest, reducing the need for artificial light and lowering energy consumption.
All of these factors help to create an aspirational workplace, thereby helping to attract and retain the best talent, as well as increase overall productivity and success.
8. Increased overall health
Adding natural light to an office environment can have a positive effect on overall health. Exposure to natural sunlight has been shown to boost serotonin levels in the brain, improving mood and reducing fatigue.
The study at the University of Oregon showed that those who had nice views of the outside and received a decent amount of sunlight took 6.5 percent less sick leave than others.
So when you are doing work from home, you take less leaves and earn more.
Therefore, adding natural light to an office environment can significantly reduce health issues and improve overall health.
5. Workers feel more engaged.
Adding natural light to an office increases engagement because workers feel more engaged when they work in natural light.
This increased engagement leads to an increased focus on tasks, more collaboration with other team members, and higher productivity, ultimately resulting in greater success.
Furthermore, natural light boosts energy levels, which helps employees be more productive and creative.
[Office chair giving back pain?]Electric bills will drop.
Adding natural light to the workplace can help reduce electric bills by allowing for daylight harvesting.
This is a process that uses natural sunlight to offset the use of electricity and reduce the need for artificial light.
Lighting in an office often accounts for 17% of their energy consumption, and by using daylight harvesting, this amount can be significantly reduced.
This is because natural light can reduce the need and expense of artificial lighting, while also helping to reduce heat loss through windows.
To further maximize the savings, businesses can incorporate photocells to sense the available light and dim or turn off the electric lighting system in response.
Related: Reduce eye strain in home office
