Appraisal of Day-lighting in Sustainable Housing Development in Developing Countries

Abstract

Using natural light in architectural spaces has been very beneficial in several ways including energy efficiency, cost control, health and wellbeing of users, and prevention of electricity dissipation and other negative effects of artificial lighting. Daylight in architecture satisfies both mental and physical human needs and reduces fossil energy consumption. This paper appraised the use of daylighting in sustainable housing development in developing countries and discussed the benefits of natural/daylight in housing designs, including the reasons for the sudden disapproval of daylighting in contemporary designs. The study employed a literature review technique, appraisal of case studies of selected daylight-driven buildings and personal observations. Findings revealed that building occupants now prefer daylight for both illumination and environmental stimulations because lack of daylight results in discomfort and stress and affects the psychological and physiological health of building occupants. The study concluded that architects in developing countries should embrace daylighting in their designs due to its numerous benefits in making them sustainable. The study recommended the inclusion of daylighting requirements in all architectural designs by planning authorities in developing countries.