Daylight underlies many aspects of our existence and is essential for all life on earth. It literally shapes our daily rhythm, impacts our health and well-being, provides us and the nature with information and energy, and enables sharp vision. The importance of natural light is sometimes forgotten and its potential often under-exploited. With this blog and its different sections, we want to provide a forum for all kind of perspectives related to daylight research and its applications, encourage interdisciplinary exchanges, and create more awareness about the benefits of daylight.
Interested in contributing to this blog? Please contact us at office@daylight.academy.
Illustrated by Marina Roa from SenseTribe
For all of our planetʼs history, there has been night and day, driving the rhythms of life across days and seasons… until the invention of the light bulb. Now we have light whenever we want and run the risk of becoming increasingly disconnected from natural rhythms. By disrupting the body clock, the lack of daylight can negatively affect health.
The rhythms of daylight shape the biology of all living beings on the planet, including animals and plants. Sunlight not only provides energy for almost all natural processes, but is also an important source of information for living organisms and ecosystems.
Light, shade, gradients of darkness and the full absence of light: their duration, contrasts and rhythmic successions, together with their effects are vital to all living beings, including humans and more than humans. Investing in life-long studying together and learning to see and sense light, as well as its absence, is an indispensable and integral part of creative artistic and scientific processes.
Modern lifestyle makes us spend most of our time indoors, which estranges us from natural light. Yet, we know that daylight is essential to keep us healthy and functional. All this strongly suggests that daylight should be an integral part of architectural and urban design processes.
Spreading knowledge about the health benefits of daylight can positively impact public health and is perhaps particularly crucial now that we are facing a viral threat which forces us to spend even more time indoors.