Investigating the importance of natural light in living and learning environments

Abstract

The sun has played a critical role in the history of human civilization, with sunlight considered to be important to this day. The aim of this dissertation is to explore the importance of natural light in living and learning environments in Malta, based on the perceptions of individuals who make use of these spaces and also of those responsible for their design. Data was collected by means of questionnaires and also interviews, with data from both of these analysed using the SPSS software package. Results indicate that University students consider natural lighting in lecture rooms to be a very important aspect of their learning process, with several also expressing a preference for lecture rooms that overlook natural settings. Similarly, first time property buyers, despite budgetary limitations, look for properties that are naturally well-lit and close to natural environments, the former for both psychological and economic (energy-saving) reasons. Real estate agents find natural light to be important in their work, also noting the importance given to this aspect by their clients when viewing different properties. Architects perceive natural light as the most important source of daylighting in built-in environments. Although interviewed architects stated that, individually, they give this aspect importance in design, it was also suggested that the priority given to natural lighting by their clients tends to vary, depending on whether the client is a commercial property developer or not. The study shows that natural light is vital to the human person for both living and learning. In this regards, awareness of the importance of natural lighting and its benefits should be considered a priority.