To be happy, it is advisable to have a sunny house or apartment. In any case, this is what a new Chilean study suggests.
- The more natural light there is in a house or apartment, the happier participants reported feeling.
- The choice of the wall surface has an impact on the happiness of the residents.
First source of vitamin D production, sunlight promotes the consolidation of bones and the development of good immunity. Having natural lighting in your home also has a positive impact on morale. Chilean researchers have notably observed the link between natural light and well-being within homes.
This research was conducted by Javiera Morales Bravo, architect at the University of Chile in Santiago, and Pablo Naverrete-Hernandez, senior lecturer in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sheffield (UK). The Covid-19 pandemic has led them to question the importance of feeling good at home. The health crisis has been marked in particular by an increase in cases of anxiety and depression which have been associated with successive confinements.
3D architectural demonstrations
For this study published in the scientific journal Building and Environment, they designed a virtual experience of 25 3D architectural simulations. Each presented a quantity of natural light in the living room, the kitchen, the bedroom or the bathroom. The houses did not have the same number of windows. The openings to the outside were also of different size for each 3D presentation.
The simulations were shown to 750 volunteers who then had to rate them on a scale of 1 to 10. The number 1 meant that the environment had no impact on their mood and the number 10 could symbolize a strong emotion such as joy or sadness.
Results: The more natural light diffused into a house or apartment, the happier participants reported feeling. The study authors also pointed out that this feeling of euphoria was very strong when the windows covered almost 40% of the wall space.
Wall surfaces in light tones to promote well-being
During the research, the two experts also found that wall surfaces have an impact on the happiness of residents. “Light tones and white tones reflect light in an interior space, while dark colors absorb it (…) Therefore, the choice of wall color has an impact on the amount of light present in an interior space , which influences happiness and sadness.highlighted Javiera Morales Bravo. The team also discovered the wall material that arouses the least well-being: brick. In question ? It has properties that tend to absorb natural light rather than scatter it.
“Our results indicate that by maximizing window size, increasing the distance between dwellings to reduce shadowing, and using wall materials and colors that better reflect light, people perceive an increase in happiness and a decrease in sadness“, recommended Pablo Navarrete-Hernandez.
