Natural Light and Productivity: Analyzing the Impacts of Daylighting on Students’ and Workers’ Health and Alertness

Studies show that the quality of the school environment significantly influences students' academic performance. Among the many attributes of the school environment, light is one of the most visible and talked about ones. Lighting in the classrooms has been the subject of many studies for over a century. In recent years, special attention has been given to the impact of natural light on learning as light has physiological, psychological and behavioral influences on school children as well as workers. A multitude of surveys has indicated also that daylight impacts the health. We believe that workers' and students' health, satisfaction, attention, and consequently performance are improved with the help of natural light. This paper discusses the current literature and design-based evidence to evaluate the impacts of natural light on office workers and students' scholastic performance. Issues of timing and exposure to daylight are also discussed.