DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.51148/jaas.2019.5

SICK

BUILDING

SYNDROME:

NATURAL

DAYLIGHT CASE STUDY

Shabnam Akbari Namdar¹and Solmaz Tabe Afshar^

¹Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

²PhD student, Department of architecture, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

ABSTRACT: In the taxonomy of creatures, human is a complex being, a feature that

makes him vulnerable, such that if he lacked the power to reason and intelligence, he

would certainly not be able to deal with the threats of the nature. Creating a shelter, from

Research Article

its primitive form for cave dwellers to today's luxurious buildings, all point to the man's

PII: S238315531900005-8

need for privacy that primarily guarantees his security, but a closer look at this physical

boundary between man and nature, which is known as residence, reveals that there are a

plethora of problems, questions, and requirements besides security, ranging from the

extent to which nature suffers as a result of construction to the health problems that this

demarcation creates for humans. Evidently, not being attentive to the environment will

result in health problems, but since sustainable architecture is not necessarily considered

a moral obligation to care for the health of residents, developing building regulations and

design policies with an emphasis on human health seems essential. One of such problems,

whose consequences are clearly noticeable in current societies and families, is the lack of

access to natural daylight as a result of increased unorganized constructions and

regardless of environmental conditions, and ultimately the emergence of dysfunctional

buildings for their residents in the community, which in turn will eventually bring about

irreversible physical and mental problems. In this article, the notion of “Sick Building

Syndrome” (or SBS for short), and its underlying causes are reviewed by conducting a

series of studies on authoritative and up-to-date sources, articles, and books. Here, the

role that natural daylight plays as one of the major elements whose lack or absence will

lead to the formation of a sick building in society, along with the factors and elements

contributing the increased prevalence of this type of building are studied in the scope of

architectural designing. The authors believe that identifying the reasons for the rise of

acute health problems in our current society and promoting builders and architects to use

appropriate and low-cost solutions, will greatly alleviate these problems.

Received: 08 Aug. 2019

Revised: 25 Nov. 2019

Published: 15 Dec. 2019

 Corresponding author’s E-

mail: s.tabeafshar@gmail.com

KEYWORDS: Sick Building Syndrome, SBS, Daylight, Architecture & Health,

Architectural Design

INTRODUCTION

occupants of the building experience discomfort and

even severe health problems proportional to the

The term “syndrome” is derived from the Greek

language, essentially meaning concurrence, while

today, it mostly refers to a group of symptoms which

consistently occur together [1].

duration of residence in the building, even when a

specific illness or cause is not identifiable [2].

SBS is often related to the problems in indoor air

quality, among which the most effective factors are

often in fact a combination of potential factors,

including indoor air pollution, lack of sunlight and

daylight, poor ventilation and heating, poor

acoustics and the presence of pathogenic elements

such as asbestos. Biological contaminants are also of

concern, for example, lack of sunlight along with

high humidity provides grounds for the formation of

molds and fungal contaminations [3].

If one wants to achieve optimality in design,

harmony with nature should be primarily pursued,

where humankind first found its origin a few

thousand years ago. In the meantime, sunlight and

daylight are heavily involved in keeping us in touch

with nature while inside the building. Although this

may seem simple and obvious at first, it would be

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) was recognized as

medical condition by the World Health

Organization in 1982. The World Health

Organization defines SBS as a group of nonspecific

symptoms including symptoms such as eye, nose

and throat irritation, mental fatigue, headache,

nausea, dizziness and skin irritations among other,

some of which appear to be related to working or

living building [2].

SBS should not convey the notion that the

building itself is sick, but that the people in it may

have one, some, or all of the symptoms that falls into

SBS as per the definition offered by World Health

Organization. Sick Building Syndrome is an

umbrella term used to describe situations in which

2019 SCIENCELINE

Citation: Akbari Namdar Sh and

S Tabe Afshar

(2018). Sick building syndrome: natural daylight case

Journal of Art and Architecture Studies

study. J. Art Arch. Stud., 8 (2): 30-36.

ISSN 2383-1553

JAAS

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.51148/jaas.2019.5

J. Art Arch. Stud. 8(2): 30-36, Dec 15, 2019

J Art Arch Stud. 8(2): 30-36, 2019

very important to know that many of the health accounting for natural light, especially in

problems caused for building occupants may be the metropolitan areas, is the primary cause a wide

result of the underestimation of the significance of degree of stresses, increased number of some acute

daylight by urban designers and architects. Thus, it diseases, reduced work and educational productivity

seems that not carefully considering the basic design and even increased duration of hospital stay [4].

Farzaneh and Akbari Namdar, 2019

Figure 1. Source control measures and ventilation strategies; Model of causes of sick building syndrome;

Relation between indoor air quality and indoor environmental

Reduced employee productivity

although the subject of daylight in its rational form

It is generally acknowledged that humans are in entered the architectural realm from the late

better mood during daylight, as most surveys on nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Aside from

employees and office buildings show that employees the necessity to preserve energy and protect fossil

prefer windowed environments to windowless ones. fuels, the issue of sunlight gained more significance

During sunlight, humans feel energetic and lively, when Dr. Niels Finsen received the 1903 Nobel Prize

but during the winter days we feel bored and even in Medicine for proving that sunlight could cure

melancholy [5].

tuberculosis. He also developed a method for

treating cutaneous tuberculosis using ultraviolet

Decreased performance and learning in light. Yet the remaining fact is that the light factor

educational environment

with a focus on human health is still often

Devotion to environmental quality factors in the disregarded in design.

designing academic educational spaces has a great

impact on the performance of the main users of

these spaces, i.e. students. In this sense, one of the

most effective environmental quality factors is the

introduction of daylight in the designing of

educational classes [6].

Daylight and natural sunlight

Visible light is a spectrum of electromagnetic

waves that is visible to the human eye, varying from

405 terahertz bordering the red light, to 790

terahertz on the purple light. The human body has

evolved in the daily cycle of light and darkness and

has fully adapted to natural light, which is the result

the visible light spectrum being combined, though

the sensitivity of the human eye and even skin to any

of the colors of the visible light spectrum is different.

More importantly, daylight is not a constant flow of

light, but a dynamic thing that is a function of time

and place and contains information about the

outside environment, including the situation of the

day and the extent of coldness and heat. Therefore,

the spectral quality of sunlight, which cannot be

accurately produced artificially, makes it an entirely

different type of light compared to what is produced

by any electrical source [7].

Delays in patient recovery rate

In the mid-twentieth century, the famous

English nurse Florence Nightingale was one of the

major proponents of increasing the amount of

natural daylight (sunlight) in homes and wards. She

acknowledged that patients admitted to the well-lit

wards were in higher morale and much happier than

those admitted towards without proper daylight.

Known as The Lady with The Lamp, she went so far

as to offer architectural designs for low-rise hospital

wards that received sunlight not from one direction

but from two, thus achieving access to sunlight in

the entire ward space [7].

The relationship of humankind with sunlight

and natural light throughout history has often

manifested in the form of religion and mysticism,

such as belief in the sun god in ancient Egypt, which

in some cases can be seen quite clearly on stone

walls and masonry structures and even caves,

Daylight and health

The relationship between health and daylight

can be studied from both mental and physical

perspectives. Natural light carries information

regarding the day. This light gives us information

J Art Arch Stud. 8(2): 30-36, 2019

about the outside environment when we are indoors daily life cycle leads to the emergence and spread of

because our body is involved in daily shifts diseases and abnormal behaviors in many plants,

throughout the year and this circadian cycle directly animals and humans. According to Salamat News, as

affects the digestive system, sleep pattern, hormone quoted by ISNA, deficiency and insufficiency of

secretion and even body temperature. The integrity vitamin D is common in approximately 30 to 50% of

of the body's biological clock is closely attributed to the world's population, although its prevalence

the amount of light it receives from the environment varies in different geographical areas and varying

during the day. As a result, receiving enough nutritional and climatic conditions. Despite medical

daylight is very important for reducing stress, as it advances, vitamin D deficiency is still highly

affects people's mental states [7].

epidemic. 50 to 95% of the vitamin D in the body is

People became more attentive to the importance supplied to the skin through sunlight, while the rest

of daylight when Dr. Niels Finson received the 1903 is supplied through food and supplements [8].

Nobel Prize for proving that sunlight could, in fact,

cure tuberculosis. In 1984, Dr. Rosenthal and

Urban design policies and designing

colleagues discovered that the improvement in their requirements

patients' depression was more due to sunlight than

A healthy person is not necessarily someone who

to the inhibition of the release of the melatonin is free of any disease, but health is actually being in a

hormone, as inhibiting the release of this hormone balanced state and appropriate physical, mental and

through prescription drug did not reduce social condition. Therefore, providing a living

depression.

environment that meets the health requirements of

It has been proven that, physically, sunlight is residents should be considered with higher priority

the main source of vitamin D. The medicinal and compared to visual criteria. Based on the

therapeutic properties of vitamin D were identified aforementioned discussion, the acceptable level of

at the beginning of the twentieth century. The daylight often manifests as one of the important

deficiency of this vitamin at first will lead to a factors of SBS within healthcare in the two scopes of

decrease in bone density and hence rickets. urban design and architecture [9].

Furthermore, there is a direct relation between

In the field of architecture, in most buildings,

vitamin D deficiency and the function of human the issue of light and health is mostly overlooked and

cardiovascular system. In fact, vitamin D deficiency visual criteria are often valued higher. Nowadays,

is an environmental factor that, regardless of the there is practically no requirement set for architects

genetic factor, leads to heart failure and high blood in this regard, as most of the criteria are associated

pressure in people. Increased rates of high blood with the safety of openings and exits. A severe lack of

pressure in winter compared to summer is standardized criteria for improving the health of

potentially owing to reduced levels of vitamin D in residents is more visible in this field than in the field

the body as a result of reduced exposure to sunlight. of urban design and, of course, is accompanied with

Although there is a plethora of dietary supplements more complexity. It is trivial that daylight affects

for compensating for vitamin D deficiency, sunlight human mood, yet its extent and type depend on the

has been shown to be the main source of vitamin D, very same human. No any two people see a building

which no supplement or diet can replace it [8].

Moreover, relation between vitamin

and a room in the same way, so despite the fact that

there is no alternative to the architect's

deficiency and an increased risk of various cancers understanding of the needs and desires of people

has been previously shown. However, it should be who want to live, work or play in a specific building,

noted that depending on the quality, time and place there must be climate-appropriate standards that on

of sunlight, its effect can be either positive or the one hand offer information on changes in the 24-

negative. For example, excessive exposure to direct hour cycle, and on the other hand give residents the

sunlight in a hot and dry climate can increase the ability to control their environment. Well-structured

risk of skin cancer. Sunlight provides, through and consistent rules, standards, and guidelines that

photosynthesis and other processes, the chemical can also be generalized offer the architect reliable

elements needed for our survival that are dependent starting platforms in the design process. Criteria for

on light. There are fundamental biological, the placement of stairs and emergency exits should

hormonal, and physiological functions within beings be devised in line with the orientation of the

that are synchronized through various cycles and are building, the location of the bedrooms and living

essential for the life of cells, plants, animals, and rooms, the depth of the rooms as well as the size and

humans. When there is no sunlight, disruption of the location of windows and shutters and the use of

Farzaneh and Akbari Namdar, 2019

special techniques with the purpose of providing the

desired natural light inside the building. Having in

mind that dazzling and excessive light is also

annoying to residents and can even reduce visibility

and increase health risks, the key point in designing

based on daylight is to control lighting levels as well

as control the direction of radiation and even the

manner of light distribution by its occupants.

Figure 4. Two sided roof monitor system.

There are strategies in relation to the provision

of indoor lighting through side windows, casements

or skylights that the architect should consider in

accordance with the particular design of the

building. The corresponding methods include

engineering the size and slope of the side windows

and openings, the use of attic side windows with no

visibility from outside, reflecting platforms in the

side windows for reflecting light from the ceiling to

the depth of the room, light guide towers, prismatic

system employing light refraction and reflection

mechanism,

one-way

ceiling

monitors

for

incandescent light of winter, light tube system for

directing sunlight to the lower floors in multi-story

buildings, as well as intelligent systems for adjusting

indoor lighting using sunlight. In any case, this issue

requires the creativity of the architect, as it must be

classified in the construction design standards [9].

Figure 5. Alight pipe system with its various sunlight

collection and light transport systems.

Figure 6. Rule of thumb for spacing skylights to obtain

uniform light distribution beneath multiple skylights.

Figure 2. Light-redirecting louver system.

Figure 3. Prismatic panel inserted within a side window

redirecting incoming sunlight.

Figure 7. A single-sided roof monitor system designed to

allow winter sunlight to enter but not summer sunlight.

J Art Arch Stud. 8(2): 30-36, 2019

physiological health of the occupants of the building

and their overall health in various ways. Natural

daylight through windows and various forms of

openings provides the connection for occupants

trapped in buildings with the outside space, allowing

them to closely sense the nature. Lack of sunlight

can even be literally considered a poison as it leads

to reduced levels of vitamin D in human body.

Although severe SBS problems are often associated

with the duration of time residents stay indoors and

will gradually alleviate after leaving the building, not

being attentive to this issue may lead to a plethora of

severe problems such as heart failure, vascular

complications and even the emergence of some

serious diseases, as people nonetheless spend a

significant share of their lives indoors.

Figure 8. A single sided sawtooth system provides

directional distribution of daylight inside the room.

An expert look at the manner of construction in

the country reveals that the issue of daylight and

health in design in most cases has fallen victim in

expense to mass production and economic greed of

estate owners. Although a significant share of this

problem can be attributed to regulatory problems,

more importantly, the development of criteria

focusing on the health of residents, accompanied

with a solid administrative guarantee, seems to be

the key to solving this problem. In this regard,

regulation and criteria related to urban design and

architecture policies should be included as standards

and instructions in the agenda of activists of housing

and urban development.

Figure 9. Daylight penetration resulting from the

combination of an oblique clerestory and a side window.

Furthermore, an architect should use natural

daylight management strategies inside buildings,

considering the parameters of direction, intensity,

distribution and controllability in the process with

the aim of optimizing design. In this sense, not

issuing work permits for non-professionals and

having continuous monitoring of design and

implementation processes can prove be very

promising.

Figure 10. Daylight penetration from

lightshelf system.

a combined

In spite of all these solutions, designers may not

be able to provide daylight in all parts of the

building, and hence they can embed daylight-

catching rooms, balconies, atriums and terraces in

their design, where the occupants of the building can

access direct sunlight.

DECLARATIONS

Authors’ contribution

All the authors contributed equally to the work

presented.

CONCLUSION

Competing interests

The authors declare that there is no competing

interests.

It is evident that with the development of new

industrial cities, various mental and physical

disorders related to the living environment are

emerging, problems that can be identified as a

combination of factors under the notion of Sick

Building Syndrome (SBS). Daylight is one of the

most significant of such factors, the presence or

absence of which affects the mental and

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