Proper lighting in the workplace, especially natural light at work, provides incredible benefits for employees. Studies even show that natural lighting is the #1 office perk according to employees. Often, however, natural light and views of the outdoors that could be available are obscured by shades or blinds to reduce glare or uncomfortable heat.
It’s difficult to deny the attraction of natural elements and the benefits that we get from them.
Designing an office using daylighting — the practice of placing windows, skylights, and reflective surfaces in a way that strategically welcomes natural light into the interior of the building — maximizes the positive effects that natural light in the workplace has on energy efficiency and workplace comfort, productivity, and morale.
Whether the building has been optimized for daylighting or not, incorporating glass partition panels creates separation and acoustic privacy while drawing natural light further into the interior of the office space, providing the benefits of natural light in the workplace for more employees.
1. Create a Bright and Welcoming Atmosphere 
Allowing light from exterior windows to flow into the interior of an office creates a space that is bright and welcoming. This can be accomplished by installing glass partition systems in the interior space. An atmosphere that brings in natural light creates a better mood and complements any design aesthetic.
2. Increased Employee Productivity
Studies have been conducted to show how lighting affects productivity, and it’s become clear that natural light increases employee productivity. In addition to increasing productivity, natural light also leads to more satisfied employees that are willing to stay with the company. This increases productivity, helps to retain employees and reduces costly employee turnover.
3. Boost Vitamin D
Known as the “Sunshine vitamin”, Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption and it also regulates a variety of cellular functions. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties that support immune health, muscle function, and brain cell activity.
Regular exposure to sunlight helps to increase the levels of vitamin D in the body, helping mood, bone health, strengthening immune responses, and boosting overall health. Since we spend so much time indoors, and much of it at work, the possible consequences of working in poor light include vitamin D deficiencies that lead to lower levels of overall health. Increasing vitamin D with office lighting is a win-win.
4. Encourage Better Sleep
According to a 2017 National Sleep Foundation study, workers who have high levels of natural light exposure in their offices report better sleep quality as compared to their low light counterparts. Exposure to natural light helps the body establish and maintain circadian rhythms, the internal process that controls our body’s sleep-wake cycle.
Since people spend much of their day at work, sometimes arriving and leaving in the darkness – especially in the winter months – exposure to natural light at work can have lasting benefits even after they leave the office.
5. Reap the Energy Benefits of Daylight Harvesting
Windows in the workplace welcome natural light and allow for daylight harvesting — using daylight to offset the use of electricity and reduce the need for artificial light. Lighting in an office can account for 17% of their energy consumption, so daylight harvesting can reduce the amount of energy consumed as well as reduce heating bills.
6. Creates a Connection to the Outdoors
Our world has evolved to one that is lived primarily indoors. Climate-controlled homes and offices, many without the permeation of natural light have served to increase rates of seasonal depression and negatively affect mental health overall.
The connection to the outdoors that is created through allowing natural light into the office offers a host of benefits from increased productivity to improved work performance
7. Increases Energy Levels
A lack of natural light in the office has been shown to result in 47% of employees feeling tired or very tired. Natural light in the office space, on the other hand, is shown to increase energy levels. Obviously, more energetic employees will be more productive and creative.
8. Greater Overall Employee Workplace Satisfaction
Working in an office with no natural light leaves about 43% of employees feeling gloomy. “The Employee Experience” study also found that an office with no natural light has other adverse effects such as eyestrain and headaches, which were reduced by 51% and 63%. respectively. in office environments that encourage daylight. Windows in the workplace not only provide natural light, but they also allow for outdoor views and a feeling of connection to the outdoors, also shown to increase productivity.
9. The Komorebi Effect
The Komorebi Effect is a Japanese concept loosely translated as the effect of sunlight filtering through the trees. Known to have a soothing and calming effect, offices can recreate this effect by incorporating plants and natural light, creating a calm and soothing environment in which to work.
Bring in the Light with Avanti
It’s no secret that office lighting and productivity are connected. Doing all that you can to bring natural light into an office space will have positive effects on your employees and your business.
Transparent and translucent walls, partitions, and doors improves the depth of natural daylight into a space, and provides adaptable glare control for a multitude of situations. Contact Avanti today to start reaping the benefits of natural light in your office.