5 benefits of bringing natural sunlight into your home

The children’s play corner at the Penang Harmony Centre is flush with sunlight thanks to windows all around. Photos: BETA

In Malaysia, we are so blessed with an abundance of natural sunlight throughout the year, yet so often we forget to utilise natural daylighting in our home design.

We also often see artificial lighting being used during the day in high-rise offices, shopping malls, hospitals and academic institutions.

Integrating natural daylighting into architectural and interior design is a critical factor for all architects, designers and homeowners to consider at the very beginning of every building or interior project they embark on.

Let’s get inspired by looking at the five benefits of directing natural sunlight into your home interiors.

Visitors reading at the Penang Digital Library annex building’s bay window seats.

1. Vitamin D boost

Remember what we learnt in Biology class in school? Ninety percent of the vitamin D made in our bodies comes from skin exposure to the sun. Even short bursts of sun exposure are sufficient for your body to produce all the vitamin D that is needed for the day. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with health problems like osteoporosis, cancer and muscle weakness. This is due to its role in regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and ensuring the immune system functions normally.

2. Reduce stress and anxiety

Almost half a million Malaysians experience symptoms of depression, according to the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS 2019).

Since Covid-19, the world is moving into a hybrid system of working from home and in the office.

Prolonged hours of working from home in a poorly lit indoor environment are linked to a sharp decrease in serotonin levels, which can lead to depressive mental formations.

Sunlight triggers the brain to release serotonin, known as the “feel-good hormone”, which boosts your mood and calms the mind.

Another beneficial hormone triggered by sun exposure is melatonin, which helps in maintaining a consistent circadian rhythm and inducing sleep.

If you’re working from home, it’s easy to feel the social isolation without realising it.

So, open up the curtains in your home office and bring the sunshine indoors to boost positivity in your home. Just apply sunscreen for those who are concerned about the effects of UV rays on their skin.

The Penang Digital Library's annex building features linear skylights for people to read under natural lighting.

3. Visual comfort & calmness

What you see is what you get. Visual comfort covers several key areas such as quality of light, lighting ambience, visual connection to the outdoors, luminosity, and absence of glare. It is one of the most overlooked qualities in many home interiors. Too often, our windows have curtains drawn which cuts out views to the natural outdoors. I always love large windows and will always fight for them in my designs, even when we’re adapting old buildings. Windows with a view are the best visual respite for tired eyes after working in front of the laptop all day.

4. Energy saving

The utilisation of natural daylight can help maximise a building’s energy efficiency and reduce your electricity bill. Growing up in the kampung, it was almost taboo to see the fluorescent lights switched on during the day.

Forgetting to switch off a light during the day is a sure way of getting a good scolding, if you know what I mean.

Reading in a naturally lit room is known to increase mental focus and provide a comforting ambience.

So, relook the way you position your study desk at home. Hug the windows to embrace natural sunlight. All these small efforts lead to big savings on your electricity bill.

A central skylight at the Penang Harmony Centre lets ample sunlight flood the space below.

5. Higher productivity & concentration

Research has shown an increase in students’ performance and attendance among children who were exposed to more daylight at school. Their concentration was better and overall behaviour improved in naturally lit classrooms.

So again, if you’re working from home full time or studying, make deliberate orientations in your home to face the window instead of sitting with your back to it.

The pages of your book should receive natural sunlight and not be blocked by your own shadow. If you’re working on the computer, adjust the glare by using blinds that can partially block the upper part of your window.

Small changes, big impacts

If you’re planning a house renovation soon, consider putting priority on how well every room is sunlit. It’s impossible to rotate your existing windows to face the morning sun, but you can gain much more light from a larger window or a mini skylight on your upper floors.

If you’re living in a high-rise residence, then it’s about aligning your loose furniture around the light source. Remember (where possible), always get your study desk to hug the windows.

Lastly, if you’re planning to build your dream home from ground zero, then ensure your bungalow design orientates well with the morning and evening sun.

Stay tuned and look out for more home improvement tips in my next article.

Ar Tan Bee Eu is a professional architect registered with Lembaga Arkitek Malaysia. She has two decades of working experience involving diverse local and international projects in architecture and design. Tan also teaches at Universiti Sains Malaysia, advocating passive design strategies, design principles and professional architectural practice.