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Why Sun is the Best Medicine for your Family?

January 27, 2022

" The most important Building material in your home is Sunlight ! "

In view of Makar Sankranti/Pongal celebrated last week, it got us to recollect and ponder about the importance of Sun and its light in our lives. We all know that Pongal is the harvest festival for farmers where they worship Sun god for all his creations that help them cultivate the food in their lands and much more. But, have we stopped to wonder how the Sun helps us and our health? How can a Sunlit space become the best treatment for you and your family?

The Science behind Sunlight:

Kept within reasonable limits, Direct Sunlight is the best thing that nature can do for our health. You wonder how?  

Having ample but sufficient exposure to the Sun can help in boosting a person’s mental health and physical alertness. Sunlight plays a powerful effect on the circadian rhythm, sleep, and alertness. Knowing and receiving the right levels of light exposure, can help you sleep better at nights and be more alert during the day, improving your efficiency and lifestyle. 

Did you know that in April 2005 , a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry concluded that bright light therapy is as effective as medication in the treatment of major depressive illnesses and that it has fewer side effects.

Also, In early 1877s during a massive Tuberculosis breakout, several scientists investigated the effects of exposing bacteria to the sun’s rays, and it was not long before sunlight was being hailed as `nature’s universal disinfectant’ and an important weapon in the fight against infectious diseases. Soon after, Architects began designing hospitals with large south-facing windows to admit direct sunlight and prevent the spread of tuberculosis and other pathogens. They built terraces and balconies where patients with tuberculosis could be exposed to the sun under medical supervision, a practice which became known as heliotherapy.

HELIOTHERAPY IN 1877s

The Time when Sun went Dark:​

As we know it, during the olden days natural lighting largely determined the plan of a building and the design of its external envelope. In India, we term it as Vastu, where sun plays a Vital role in designing spaces that become climate responsive.  

But with the advent of low-wattage fluorescent tubes in the 1930s, and air conditioning, reflective glass and cheap energy, the urban landscape began to change. Daylight was no longer a critical design element, as these technological advances made lighting deep-plan buildings a practical proposition and people began to become more dependent on artificial lights. 

With the rise of real estate, high rise buildings, population and subsequent lack of land, compact house plans and cramped designs came to place. Apartments became more dependent on Artificial light and ventilation that it became a stereotype by itself. The concept of Daylight went out of the window! 

As sustainable Architects, one of our main focuses is on how the building can act as a bridge between the person and the Sun. At Auroma Architecture, creating spaces with ample Daylight is of utmost priority. We believe that every house, institution, resort or apartment, must be fully well lit and naturally ventilated. 

Importance of Daylit spaces for your home: ​

A well lit and bright home, makes a bright happy future for its residents. Creating a space with best thermal comfort through well thought designs, improves the mood, morale and elevates the vibe of a space! 

We measure the level of light in terms of Lux. The sunlight level outside your window during the day is 20,000 Lux.

The level of light required for each space in a house is: 

 Living Room – 400 Lux 

 Dining Room – 250 Lux

  Kitchen – 600 Lux 

  Study – 700 Lux 

  Bedroom & Bath – 250 Lux 

When you have an ample source of light right outside your window, yet we shut and use artificial sources of light to illuminate the same room on the inside. Doesn’t this sound strange and absurd? At Auroma, We open up your walls into windows, to allow ample and sufficient light into your rooms, making your house naturally well lit – Bringing a taste of Sun and its medical benefits for you and your family!

Importance of Daylit Space for your Institution/Office:

Many office spaces and institutions, as we know it, prioritize elevation and facade of their building’s design more than the well-being of their employees/ students. Hostels and office rooms are stacked next to each other with punctures called “windows” which fail to serve the purpose of bringing in light or air! And how does this affect its residents? 

Factors that get affeted due to lack of exposure to Sun

Prolonged stay in artificially climate controlled buildings, often results in their residents/users getting affected with Sick Building Syndrome, in which people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness or become infected with chronic diseases. Other problems affected with such spaces include poor sleep quality, poor indoor air quality, head and eyesight issues due to difference in wavelengths between natural light and artificial lights, poor production of Vitamin D and increased symptoms of mental health deterioration or depression.  

In a space where the users spend close to 8 hours of the day where they are required to work at their maximum efficiency, the building in turn uses the 8 hours to do them harm! And we architects must be more conscious of the impacts! 

A well designed office/institution space must always put the needs of its users first while also promoting the motive/mission of the brand/company. The building and its spaces must aid in improving the work and keep the users happy and relaxed to be able to give their 100%. In addition, use of natural light in spaces reduces your electrical load from using artificial lights by about 25 – 30% and well ventilated spaces with passive designs can reduce energy load (used for Air-conditioning) by about 70%! 

Bottomline​

While the above mentioned text may be a hard hitting revelation, it is nothing but a drop of water in a vast sea. The consequences and repercussions of our actions are multifold than we realize or understand. As humans, we often lose sight of the larger picture while getting lost in the myriad of new inventions and things that happen in front of us. 

We call Tesla cars to be solar powered, We can call a house with solar panels to be solar powered, But we forget that WE are Solar powered! Right from a grasshopper to a human being - all life forms are solar powered, And let's not put a shield to it!


#architecture#ecoarchitecture#ecodesign#healingarchitecture#healingspaces#houseoftomorrow#nature#sustainable

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