Daylighting in older people's housing
Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of good daylighting in the homes of people with sight loss, particularly in aiding detailed visual tasks and in enhancing health.
However, secondary analysis of data from a survey of 165 dwellings in 23 extra-care housing schemes in England showed that only half complied with the current recommendations on minimum daylight levels in living rooms and bedrooms.
This study aims to identify barriers to compliance with daylighting guidance. Semi-structured interviews are being conducted with twenty people involved in the design of extra-care housing.
Findings so far suggest that financial constraints limit the feasibility of providing dual aspect dwellings and windows for every room.
Architects’ reluctance to undertake daylight factor calculations, and the need to reduce window size to prevent temperature increases from direct sunshine, meet planning requirements and minimise construction costs, could explain why some surveyed schemes did not comply with daylight-level recommendations.
Project objectives
- The study aims to identify barriers to compliance with daylighting standards in older people’s housing through:
- Secondary analysis of data from a survey of 165 dwellings in 23 extra-care housing schemes in England, to explore the degree to which these buildings complied with current daylighting standards
- Semi-structured interviews with twenty individuals involved in the design of extra-care housing, to investigate what prevents compliance with daylighting standards.
Principle investigator
Dr Alan Lewis; MICRA, School of Environment, Education and Development, University of Manchester
Funder
Thomas Pocklington Trust
Funding period
January 2013 - January 2014
Partner organisation
Housing Learning and Improvement Network
Disciplines involved
Architecture
Contact
Email: alan.lewis@manchester.ac.uk