One of the cornerstones of a residential or industrial project is the lighting design project. Today’s designers try to make the most of natural, sunlight. At night, artificial lighting is created using incandescent, halogen, fluorescent and LED emission sources. But the natural, natural light of electric lamps for a number of parameters can not yet fully replace it. Natural light is vital for people to work and live comfortably.
Why natural light is better
Comfort in the home is achieved through emotional and visual comfort. Natural, sunlight helps create a warm, homely living environment because:
- Natural, sunlight is most beneficial to vision.
- Sunlight has been proven to sanitize a room, reducing the concentration of harmful microorganisms.
- Natural light has a beneficial effect on a person’s psychological state and well-being.
- Numerous studies have shown that the lack of sunlight provokes physical ailments and general depression. The reason is that our body’s circadian rhythms (biological clock) depend directly on the parameters of light: color (wavelength), intensity (light flux per unit area) and direction.
- Competent usage of natural light allows reducing energy consumption by 50-60%.
General requirements for lighting parameters
In a dwelling should be lighted by direct sunlight for at least 2 hours per day.
At least 60% of the total area of the room must be well lit.
Window openings should be approximately 20% of the area of the room.
The top edge of the window should be no lower than 1.9 m from floor level.
Gaps between adjacent window openings should not be more than 1.5 m and the maximum allowable distance to the wall opposite is 6 m.
Lighting Classification
There are the following types of natural, sunlight:
- Lateral – light passes into the room through windows cut into the vertical walls of the house along the perimeter.
- Upper – lighting occurs through the glazed sections of the roof (skylights).
- Combined (bivolumetnoe) – light passes through both regular windows and through the roof lights.
How to set the parameters of natural light
The main indicators of lighting should be calculated and listed in the relevant section of the design project. In the finished room, the light parameters can be controlled through the use of different finishing materials or fixtures.
Lighting is improved by additional reflective surfaces (mirrors, light diffusers), directing the light flux on the ceiling, where it is reflected diffusely (evenly) in the room.
Surfaces of walls, ceiling and floor should have the following reflection coefficients: floor – 20 to 40%, walls – 50 to 70%, ceiling – at least 80%. The right choice of finishing materials can achieve these indicators.
Appropriate shades of paint, wallpaper and furniture can help to make the room lighter. Light gray, beige and white pastel shades make the room brighter and help to visually increase the volume of the rooms.
The use of mirrors and glossy (lacquered) surfaces also improves lightness.
Windows should not be obscured by the foliage of trees and shrubs.
Light passed through the glass and reflected from the mirrors becomes “hard” and harsh. Eliminate this optical effect is possible with the help of openwork screens – tulle and organza.
You can also control the flow of light (change the level of light) with vertical blinds.
The more natural, sunlight will penetrate into the space of the house, the more comfortable and soulful will be the atmosphere of the home.