There are many benefits produced as a byproduct of incorporating daylighting into an office building design. Access to daylight throughout the day improves employee well-being and overall health, even after leaving the office. Besides creating a pleasant working environment for employees, solar protection also plays a key part in supporting sustainable energy efficiency concepts.

It is important to incorporate a well-designed solar protection system, particularly for buildings with modern glass façades. Glass building façades are often seen as the ideal solution for energy-efficiency, but they are not the ultimate solution - on their own. Glass buildings result in interior overheating from direct sunlight, but there is a simple design solution available that can reduce solar overexposure throughout the day. Adding a material specifically designed for solar shading, like GKD Metal Fabrics’ solar line of metal mesh, offers a way for employees to have an unobstructed view of the outside while reducing glare and temperature on the inside. The outer shell supports energy-efficient climate control by allowing solar heat into the building in winter and screening the building from solar radiation during summer.

Solar protection systems reflect thermal radiation before it reaches the actual building shell. To efficiently screen insulating glass surfaces, systems of this type have to be installed outside the glazing. But this is precisely where materials are exposed to all types of environmental conditions, such as wind, rain, snow or frost. Choosing the right material is thus vital in securing the longevity of solar protection systems. GKD metal fabric is manufactured from stainless steel, and is extremely durable making it an ideal solution to applications of this kind.

Modern buildings often employ a combination of externally-mounted solar protection and internal glare screening so that the available solar heat energy can be used efficiently. Thanks to their open structure, metal fabrics from GKD offer both an excellent screening when the sun is high in the sky and solar heat gains when it is low and can be combined with a large number of glare protection systems if needed.

Daylighting can also help reduce power consumption in offices. Minimizing the need for artificial lighting reduces energy costs. The open structure of GKD metal fabrics allows daylight to enter the building without restricting any outward views. Maintaining a clear outward view is an important factor that can help staff feel comfortable in the workplace. Also, since less artificial lighting is used, less waste heat is generated.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, the impact of daylighting specifically as it relates to subject well-being and sleep quality, was reviewed. The study found that employees exposed to less sunlight throughout the day showed lower scores in regards to vitality as well as poorer overall sleep quality, as compared to employees who had more daylight exposure. The study suggests that more emphasis should be placed on the incorporation of daylighting into office environments.

Interestingly, this trend towards healthy building environments began in the 1970s with the “sick building syndrome” and the World Health Organization’s Declaration on Occupational Health for All in the 1990s. Daylighting attributes, with the movement of green building, has become a focal point in architectural design but it is still not seen as a necessity. Although several countries (Germany, Canada and France) have recommendations for daylighting in offices and schools, it is still not mandatory. Domestically, our building codes focus on safety and fire ratings, with a smaller emphasis on daylighting.

According to Psychology Today, researchers at the Interdepartmental Neuroscience program at Northwestern University in Chicago, concluded that, “Architectural design of office environments should place more emphasis on sufficient daylighting exposure of the workers in order to promote office workers’ health and well-being.” This study can of course be translated into the school and healthcare environments as well. 

The positive effects of daylighting are two-fold: employee well-being, and energy efficiency. When coupling these major benefits with the use of GKD Metal Fabrics’ transparent metal mesh, a sustainable and healthy building design can be achieved without compromising aesthetics.

Visit GKD Metal Fabrics at AIA May 19th – 21st, Booth #3139