Why Office Spaces Should Have Natural Light

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 87% of their life indoors. That’s a lot of time spent indoors! It’s not very practical to move your whole life outdoors so instead it’s important to look for ways to bring the outdoors in to you. One way in particular you can do this is by adding more natural light to your office spaces. Here is a look at a few reasons why office spaces should have natural light.

Workers want natural light. 

A survey published in the Harvey Business Review regarding “The Employee Experience,” found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors were the number one feature employees wanted in their work environment. If this is the number one feature employees are looking for in their work environment, that is a very compelling reason why your office space should have natural light.

Natural light increases employees’ overall health. 

A study conducted by Cornell found an 84 percent drop in eyestrain, headaches and blurred vision symptoms for workers exposed to natural light. When employees have such a substantial reduction in those symptoms they are better able to manage other health issues. Additionally, the increased natural light has proven to lead to better sleep at night. When workers are able to get more sleep at night they return to work more rested and less likely to get sick.

Natural light increases employees’ happiness.

There are a variety of research studies that show that natural light in office spaces increases employees productivity, engagement, and general happiness. Natural light leads to increased amounts of Vitamin D which has been proven to result in better overall health, both mental and physical. Happy employees are generally more productive which is another reason to add natural light to your office space.

Natural light increases the value of the office space.

An office space with plenty of natural lighting is more of a draw to prospective tenants than a space without. Research has shown that natural light can actually increase the value of the space by a range of two to four dollars per square foot. Not only are there cost benefits, but a space with natural lighting is more inviting to potential tenants which can help them be more inclined to rent the space. Natural light can also reduce utility costs due to the decreased dependence on artificial lighting. These savings help increase the value of the office space.

Contact us today for a free quote or to walk you through the process of how to begin installing more window options to your commercial space.