• DESIGN
• PRODUCTIVITY

Ways to get more natural light in the office

March, 2019

Improve natural light getting into your office design with these simple changes. Everything from building designs to how furniture is arranged is covered.

Natural lighting into an office space offers numerous benefits to workers and employers. More than a third of employees identify a lack of natural light with negative emotions in the workplace. Yet those companies that use natural light in their design will benefit from an increase in productivity by up to 40%, and creativity can be improved by up to 15%. We found some fascinating facts and a great graphic in this article.

Staff also tend to be in a better mood when they’re exposed to more natural light. This has helped with better sleep regulation that can improve the quality of work.

In addition, the number one demand for office design tends to be more natural light. This is not just because of the benefit to employees either. More natural light can reduce lighting costs and absence rates by about 6.5%.

There are several ways that you can increase natural light in office designs. Here are some of the easiest and most efficient.

1. Use transom windows

Transom windows are extra windows that are sited above a door frame or window already installed. This style was initially introduced to add windows into buildings where natural light was desired, but for the window to be at a height so that passers by couldn’t see in. Now they can be used to increase the amount of light getting into an office. The more windows the more light.

2. Use mirrors in your office design

Mirrors help to reflect natural light so that the same amount of sunshine can enter the building but it counts for twice as much. This is a cheap and effective way to improve natural light within any room, however, mirrors can sometimes cause eye strain if the light is reflected towards certain people, so designs have to be carefully thought out.

3. Consider colour schemes for the office

The colours in your office design can make a significant difference in how natural light is utilised. Darker colours often absorb light. In contrast, lighter colours will reflect light, making the same amount of light fill a room more. However, you have to be careful about what colours you use. Light grey, beige and white are common place to improve lighting, but these colouring schemes can also make some workers depressed.

4. Think about the commercial flooring

Some commercial flooring, like vinyl can help to improve natural light by their colour and slight reflective attributes. Flooring is a particular element that is often forgotten, but light is always directed downwards and therefore should be an important factor in office design, especially when you’re thinking about incorporating natural light.

5. Remove obstructions

Sometimes offices have the potential for more natural light with just some simple changes in the office furniture. Moving cabinets, desks and other furniture around might improve the amount of natural light that can enter the entire room. This little cost-effective solution is often overlooked because those items are needed for work, but people often forget that moving them might make lighting a lot better for all those concerns.

Adding natural light into your office designs is going to offer significant benefits. People like natural light and it helps them work more and better. However, not all companies can afford Google’s running track and swimming pool on the roof. So, you have to find easier, and less expensive, ways to increase natural light in your business’ office design.

share this article