We know that circadian health is important, but how can we make sure our spaces and buildings promote it? As part of our research sponsored by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Upjohn Research Initiative and in partnership with researchers from the University of Oregon, we explored how different design features impact the distribution of natural daylight within a space. Taking both feasibility and effectiveness into account, we established guidelines and strategies that are applicable to both new and existing buildings.

Julia Siple, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP; Denise Gravelle, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, and Thalia Chrousos, AIA, Fitwel Amb., share a preview of several of the design approaches that support circadian health in the video below.

Seeking to implement our strategies in your next design? Download our findings here.

Key Strategies | Daylighting Design for Circadian Health in Existing Buildings

Video Transcript

DENISE GRAVELLE

It doesn't take a lot of money to implement design solutions that are going to dramatically improve circadian lighting for the end users in a building.

JULIA SIPLE

The purpose of our AIA Upjohn Grant study was really to better understand the design strategies that can improve circadian health, and we wanted to particularly understand that in the context of existing buildings.

DENISE GRAVELLE

When we design spaces, we're always thinking about the end user, and we are really concerned about the health and wellness of the people that use the buildings that we design. This research just gave us one more way to think about the way that we're designing and some real, tangible ways that we can implement design changes that will benefit people's health in the long run.

JULIA SIPLE

I think one of the things that was most surprising to me about the research was just how impactful bright and reflective materials are for the impact of circadian health. This seems like a relatively easy strategy and one that is important to be mindful of because that's something that changes more frequently throughout a building's life cycle.

DENISE GRAVELLE

A lot of the design interventions that we found to be most impactful were things that didn't require a lot of money, such as bright finishes and proper programming of a space.

THALIA CHROUSOS

Some people think that making the windows as big as possible would be the most effective, but we actually found for circadian daylighting, you didn't really gain much more after about 40 to 50% window-to-wall ratio, which was really interesting, especially in existing buildings, because changing the envelope and replacing windows can be a big project if that’s not part of your design intent.

DENISE GRAVELLE

So, you really don't need to punch big holes in the façade or introduce light shelves or other things that are going to be really costly for the client. It's just about using your skills as a designer in a way that really supports the wellness of the end user.