A Sunny Thought
Fresh air + sun is no new prescription for feeling down or needing a boost of energy, but what about the super serious side effects? Like how natural light supports our eye strength, bringing longevity to our retinas; how sunshine paired with fresh air is one of the best and natural disinfectants; and how the Department of Human Services just confirmed that sunlight can destroy COVID cells in less than two minutes*.
Shocked? A century ago we spent just as much time as we did outside that we do inside now (90% of our time, a 20% increase pre COVID-induced lockdowns), and while science has moved leaps and bounds to help us create a healthy relationship with the sun (sunscreen, sunglasses, HVAC in Texas) we as a population have moved drastically away from the outdoors and its easily attainable benefits.
With design that shuts us off from the natural environment, it’s easy to get absorbed within our space and forget about the benefits of what’s just on the other side of the wall. For over three decades we have worked to design sustainable buildings focused on wellness, discovering the importance and positive impact of diffusing the boundaries between indoor and outdoor environments through design driven by natural light, and a sense of place.
Start by asking yourself how much sun you’re getting throughout the day:
How’s your office and home?
Looking at expanding spaces to lengthen windows or sliding doors to expand the locations of natural light; assessing your ability to add an overhang to turn a back porch or yard into an semi-indoor oasis that encourages more fresh air for longer times throughout the year; analyzing your working environment to see if unnecessary walls can be cut down or entirely removed to open the path of natural light from exterior windows across large internal spaces. (We offer consulting to help you pick the best places and window options to help you make sure this kind of decision is made with your property’s particular needs, making sure that you don’t end up with too much harsh sun that heats up your home and does more harm than good).
How intentional are you being about getting outside?
From taking the dog around the block more often throughout the day to making a long walk end with some extra time at a park, both a fresh breeze and some of that Spring/ Summer sun gives you a boost of vitamins, energy and even increases the creation of serotonin in your brain. It gets better - when the sun hits your skin, your body releases a chemical, nitric acid, that lowers blood pressure and improves heart health.
Designing your environment and lifestyle around the sun and natural environments isn’t something that just looks good, it comes from decades of knowledge and hundreds of health professionals tracking the importance of how the natural environment and our wellness align. If living amidst a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s been the vital importance of creating a healthy environment through our most attainable and sustainable resources - allowing both people and the planet to help each other thrive.
Index:
A recent Department of Human Services report confirms that sunlight can destroy the Covid- 19 virus in less than 2 minutes.
Sunlight exposure and fresh air are the best disinfectant for avoiding exposure to the Covid-19 virus
120 years ago people spent 90% of their time outdoors, today people spend 90% of their time indoors
*Please note that we discovered this information was last updated in June 2020, and that we have not personally tested the validity of this statement ourselves. Please further note that any elongated sun exposure has been entirely proven to cause irreparable skin damage. So please be safe out there, y’all + know that as much as we try to be the experts, the information we pull from is sometimes amidst testing.
