ONE OF THE fundamental virtues of the Daylight Award is that it acknowledges the crucial relationship between architecture, human beings and natural light. Not only are there two categories, one for architecture and one for research, but the research award generally honours work that has joined the dots in some way between human beings and their environment. ‘The award acknowledges and encourages scientific knowledge and practical applications of daylight that interlink varying disciplines,’ says the mission statement.
All life on Earth evolved under the
cycle of night and day, and as well as affecting all nature, this rhythm has a profound effect on the human biological system – sleep especially – and psyche. Given that a large number of people spend a significant part of their lives at work, we are becoming increasingly aware of the massive implications for the design and lighting of the working environment and other spaces where human spend extensive periods of time, from hospitals to educational institutions.