To boost productivity and the bottom line, companies invest in better communications systems, offer employees extra training, and organize company parties, among other methods. Though it’s often an overlooked factor, employee performance can also be improved by adding more natural light to offices and commercial buildings. Here’s how sunlight can help your business.

Why Natural Light Matters to Employees

Studies have shown multiple benefits of natural light exposure to employees. Whether it’s bright rays or muted, overcast sunlight, natural daylight can markedly improve mood, alertness, metabolism, and sleep. Employees exposed to significant amounts of natural light reported sleeping longer, getting more exercise, and feeling much better overall.

Light is considered a synchronizing agent of a person’s biological rhythms to the Earth’s daily rotation and environment. Called the circadian rhythm, it’s primarily influenced by surrounding cues, such as exposure to light and darkness. It controls the sleep-wake cycle, hormones, body temperatures, and other essential functions. When the body doesn’t receive enough signals from outdoor light, it won’t produce melatonin, the hormone for the sleep-wake cycle. With lack of sleep and an off-kilter circadian pattern, employees feel less stimulated and find it challenging to focus at work.

Apart from affecting the circadian rhythm, exposure to sunshine triggers the production of serotonin, a chemical in the body that regulates mood. Studies have linked normal levels of serotonin to a person’s well-being, happiness, and focus, making for more productive employees.

How to Incorporate It in Building Design

The effect of natural light exposure to employee wellness and productivity has made it a necessary part of the design and layout of a commercial building. Daylighting, or the practice of using natural light for daytime illumination indoors, has been gaining traction among architects and designers. Large windows, full-height glass walls, and skylights achieve this end. However, too much of it can also lead to increased HVAC energy usage, particularly when cooling the space to keep it comfortable. Strike a balance when designing a commercial building for your business.   

For help designing your commercial building to include ample natural light, ask the experts at D.E. Huddleston. As a full-service commercial contractor based in Chillicothe, OH, they specialize in designing and constructing buildings for clients throughout South Central Ohio. They’re also a remodeling contractor. Call (740) 773-2130 to see how they can help, or visit them online for more information on their services.