View the Eurocell entry on BPi
For many home owners and renters natural light is an increasingly key design aspect in making a property a home, with a focus on this design element stemming from increased consumer awareness around the importance of wellbeing. This is influencing all types of building design, leading architects, builders and developers to seek innovative approaches to boost natural light in the home.
The desire for more natural light was highlight in a recent survey conducted by Eurocell plc. 80% of respondents reported that they would like to increase the amount of natural light entering their home; 48% said they would pay more for a home with a greater amount of natural light; and 57% said they would be more likely to buy or rent a home if it had a high amount of natural light.
Architects at leading studios Hawkins Brown, Simpson Haugh and BDP, as well as property developer The High Street Group, discussed the findings, highlighting that regulation vs. design vs. cost is the main equation when it comes to natural light. This illustrates that, while everyone would like to have more light in their homes, external factors, such as cost and localised building constraints, cannot always be easily overcome to achieve the goal of maximising it in the home.
So how can housebuilders optimise the amount of natural light in the home, within the constrains that they often face? One approach is the WELL architectural standard. This framework aims to ensure that the designs of the buildings we live in advance human health and wellbeing. The standards are based on seven core concepts of health and hundreds of design features that should be considered.
Maximising the amount of natural light in the home is key to this, as most people feel happier and more uplifted in naturally bright spaces. By incorporating features such as utilising glass in the roof and having bigger windows, housebuilders can ensure that the homes they build meet the demands of the next generation of homeowners.
Over the coming years natural light will be increasingly important to homeowners and renters and those builders that take this into consideration will ensure that interest is generated in future developments and that those moving into the property are happy in their surroundings.
You can see all of Eurocell’s findings from the survey in the Future Home Report which can be downloaded in full here https://www.eurocell.co.uk/whitepaper