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When it comes to workplace productivity, there’s a range of hacks to help you do your best and feel great. Office plants, desk-based exercises and yes, even procrastination, all have their merits. But what about lighting?
Gone are the days of cubicle farms where workers were packed tightly into offices and sectioned away from colleagues. For some, a meerkat-like peer above those dreary dividers wouldn’t even find natural light.
“People used to dread changing departments or companies because they worried their new desk would be in a dark spot, away from any windows,” says Tom Walsh, a Senior Surveyor in our Flexible Office Solutions team. “But that was long before workplace design was geared towards employees.”
Once the lightbulb was commercialised in 1879, the way we designed buildings changed, and we started working longer days.
In the 1920s, skyscrapers were built with tall windows, but they were often blocked by filing cabinets, so employees couldn’t gaze out into the world. As the decades rolled on, the corporate world became more reliant on fluorescent lighting, so windows weren’t even deemed a necessity.
Above: The Fisheries, 1 Mentmore Terrace, is filled with plenty of natural light thanks to its glass roof and big windows.
As we explore in our Brief History of the Office, office design eventually turned to prioritise the human elements of business, especially collaboration and wellbeing. And for good reason, too.
Part of that involved an appreciation of office plants, the invention of the breakout space, and crucially, a keenness for natural light
The window seat is an in-demand spot, and there’s plenty of science that explains why. A US study by Cornell University found that natural light was able to boost the overall employee experience.
The study found that employees who sat near windows were 51% less likely to endure eyestrain from their computers and 63% less likely to experience headaches. On top of that, employees were also able to concentrate longer thanks to a 56% decrease in drowsiness.
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Above: The Argyll Club’s Park House in Mayfair is abundant in natural light thanks to its double-height curved glass roof.
In this new world of work, the office experience is becoming increasingly critical. Amenities like fitness studios, on-site restaurants and breakout spaces play a crucial role in shaping that. But a fundamental part of that experience is access to natural light. In fact, our LinkedIn poll on the most in-demand office amenities found that 36% of respondents said their dream office includes a rooftop terrace, which is a fantastic way to enjoy the sun when it’s shining.
Supporting this, a poll of 1,614 American workers found that “access to natural light and views of the outdoors are the number one attribute of the workplace environment, outranking stalwarts like onsite cafeterias, fitness [centres], and premium perks including on-site childcare.”
Meanwhile, 47% of those workers said they felt more tired when they didn’t have access to natural light or views of the outdoors, and 43% said they felt gloomy without natural light.
Exposure to sunlight is crucial. It can boost our production of serotonin – also known as our ‘happy hormone’, which can even reduce levels of anxiety and depression. So, it’s no surprise that a lack of light can stifle employee productivity and happiness.
The presence of natural light is a fundamental aspect of biophilic office design – which is a workplace design technique that caters to our innate desire to be near lifelike processes. Office plants, access to outdoor spaces and big windows which welcome plenty of natural light are all key.
But in the instances where an abundance of natural light isn’t always available – especially in the UK’s winter months – circadian lighting is a popular office alternative.
Our LinkedIn poll on the most in-demand office amenities found that 36% of respondents said their dream office includes a rooftop terrace, which is a fantastic way to enjoy the sun when it’s shining.
Circadian lighting is a type of lighting that replicates natural light – including its colour, angle and position. It aims to replicate a day’s light, from sunrise to sunset, with warmer tones in the morning through to cooler tones at noon, then back to cooler tones in the evening.
In fact, some studies have even suggested that circadian lighting can boost employee productivity by 20%.
Employees who sat near windows were 51% less likely to endure eyestrain from their computers and 63% less likely to experience headaches.
For business leaders who want their employees to work in optimal, light-filled environments, we can take you through some of the best offices in London.
Alternatively, if you’re not ready to make an office move, consider incorporating some outdoor team meetings or walk-and-talk phone calls with clients – weather permitting, of course.
Request a shortlist of light-filled offices for your teamOur experts are here to help take the hard work out of finding your next office space.