Getting SAD? Install a skylight
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In the times before electricity, skylights were used to transfer daylight into the home areas where the light from windows didn't reach.
In the 17th and 18th century UK tax laws, house tax was calculated based on how many windows a home had. Skylights were a way to get light into the home without increasing the taxes that a household would pay. Many architects experimented with light transfer using skylights and mirrors to transport light around a home.
In more modern times, skylights became design elements - particularly in larger buildings like shopping centres and offices. Especially in countries with longer, darker winters people suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which is caused by the lack of Vitamin D ie natural light. Natural light in an office has also been linked to worker productivity and so skylights above atriums in newer office buildings are far more common than before.
In Australia, because winters are shorter and light availability is prevalent across the country, there is less focus on skylights for this reason. However, skylights and light tubes are still common design elements in many homes - as we saw with many of them being broken and replaced after the storms in Melbourne earlier this year.
In the past decade, a movement has occurred towards architectural principles called 'Passive solar building design'. These principles involve capturing available light when needed and rejecting light when not needed. The goal is to create a home with a balance that means less electrical lighting and heating and less cooling energy - simply by designing structures to use natural energy neutrally.
Skylights, because they are part of the roof, must be well installed and sealed against leaks. Some skylights are also great if they open (as hot air rises and escapes through the skylight). Also, different types of glass or perspex can be used in skylights that let in different types and levels of light. Whatever you're using your skylight for - design or practicality - get a professional to install or repair it.
Did you know? Some people say that the phrase 'daylight robbery' originated from the window tax - as the tax was literally robbing light.
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SAD? Are you kidding? That can't be a real disease.
over a year ago by Martha -
Hah hah - I thought so too but no, it's real :) Although, I figure that it's just a hibernation of sorts, like animals do sometimes in the winter.
over a year ago by liz_brock -
Skylight are great way to utilize the natural light...
over a year ago by James
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