Roofing: Natural Lighting

Roofing: Natural Lighting



Daylight Design Daylight is a vital natural resource that will significantly improve the environment within any building. Rooflights provide three times more light than the same area of vertical glazing. They can also provide a much more even distribution of light, particularly in larger structures. Where vertical glazing exists, the effective area for natural lighting will only be within 6m of the wall containing the window. 


These facts are well understood by most people involved in building design. However the huge potential of rooflights to provide exactly the amount, type and distribution of natural light required to meet any given specification is not always appreciated. Rooflights can help to provide natural light with qualities appropriate to the use of the building.


Benefits of Natural Daylight : Daylight is an essential natural asset. For those of us living in temperate Northern climates, the beneficial effect of sunlight is easy to recognise; a couple of sunny days seem to lift everyone’s spirits. Research also shows that suicide rates are considerably higher in parts of the world where daylight is very limited for significant parts of the year. On a slightly less dramatic but equally significant level, there is also a growing body of evidence to suggest that buildings enjoying high levels of natural light are literally more successful than those more reliant on artificial light. In all environments the eye and brain functions respond better to natural light, so people perform better, while passive solar gain can reduce energy costs.

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