Making The Most Of Natural Light In Your Office

By Author: HJ Clark
Total Articles: 65
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On a warm summers day, when the sun is out and beaming down on you, the last place you will probably want to be is stuck in an office. In reality however, it will be the case for most of us this summer. But there are some measures you can implement to make your office a slightly happier place this summer, and they involve increasing the amount of natural light in your office.

Some great ways to increase the amount of natural light in your office is to re-decorate the walls and ceilings. So this means dusting off the paintbrush and re-colouring the office in a light colour such as white or blue to increase the brightness. As well as increasing the amount of natural light, the colour of your office will have an affect on the behaviour of your employees, with bright colours likely to relieve stress and anxiety among employees, and is also of said to psychologically reduce the temperature.

You could also look into the possibility of moving in to an office with structural glazing throughout, as the amount of natural light let into the office will be far greater. Most of these 21st century buildings will be made with ...
... glass structural elements, glass office partitions, and could also boast features such as glass floors and glass barriers. Glass atriums and roofs are an effective way of allowing light to be transferred directly into buildings as well as creating a sense of openness.

If this is not a viable option because of cost, then make the most of what you’ve got and look to rearrange the office in a way that will make the most of the glorious sunshine. So make sure that your windows are not covered by a cabinet, ensure the blinds are always kept up, and rearrange the desks so that the light does not blind you. These will help to maximise the exposure of natural light and will also minimise the amount of unwanted excess heat and glare coming in through the windows.

It is also a well known fact that you should look to make the most of southern exposure in your office. Over the year, you will find that south facing windows will benefit greatly from prolonged exposure to natural light, which means your office will stay brighter and happier for longer.

Now we know what to do, we need to look at the benefits of all this light. First and foremost increased amounts of natural light decrease our dependence on lights and electricity, which means the company can start making some savings on their utility bills. This can be quite a sizeable chunk when working in a big office environment. This will also have a positive effect on our environment as it will reduce the company carbon footprint as well as increasing energy efficiency.

One of the biggest benefits that your company will benefit from is an increase in motivation and efficiency from your workforce, as they are working in a bright and proactive working environment which will increase their morale. As a result this will mean an increase in employee productivity, and research has even shown an increase in employee attendance and punctuality as a result of a motivating working environment.

OAG are specialists in structural glazing, with a variety of solutions that include glass floors, glass roofs and glass barriers.