Design recommendations based on cognitive, mood and preference assessments in a sunlit workspace

This paper reports a study that aimed to establish a method of improving daylighting design using a behavioural approach. It underscores why daylighting design guidelines need to change in order to reflect the idea that human activities are important design criteria alongside the physical parameters. Design recommendations for sunlit offices have been developed based on experiments that investigated room occupants' emotional, attitudinal and cognitive responses to various sunlight conditions. The design guidelines developed in this study, for the first time, present a comprehensive evaluation of a sunlit office from an architectural point of view, one that is focused on the characteristics of a workspace - involving sunlight, window view, privacy and control - and room occupants' behavioural responses to these environmental factors.