The power of daylight. Daylight influencing emotions and spatial perception of indoor space.

Abstract: The present thesis derived from a personal need to explore how daylight can shape the emotional state of users and consequently their indoor experience. As a lighting design student I appreciated even more the power that light and shadows have upon indoor experiences. To investigate this further, an experiment with five panels was conducted. Moreover, since daylight conditions vary according to the latitude the spaces were simulated in Sweden and Cyprus, and subjects from both locations participated in the experiment.  The results suggest that daylight distributed in horizontal, vertical and squared shapes evokes mainly pleasant or activating emotions. Circular shapes provoke pleasant feelings and the organic: unpleasant and deactivating. The outcome indicates that emotions, perception of light levels, light distribution and shadows can alter considerably among individuals from different latitudes. Participants from northern latitude perceived the space darker than those from southeastern latitude. Additionally, when the subjects felt happy in a space they perceived it brighter than other spaces. The analysis suggests a link between memories, familiarity and emotions. Lastly, the importance of considering preferences of different groups of users is emphasized.