Building Design

Where once building design was about considering aesthetics, a building’s performance and the well-being of its occupants is now at the forefront of building design – of course whilst still allowing for creativity within these commercial projects.

Our blogs explore the balance between creating stunning and interesting commercial buildings whilst also ensuring a building’s performance is maximised and not compromised.

The interior of Freinet school De Harp, in Ghent, Belgium with structural glazing system
Building Design

Rooflight refurbishment and key factors to consider

When choosing a new daylight solution as part of a refurbishment project, understanding a building’s functionality plays an important role in decision making. If able to establish the influential factors involved in design, specification and installation, better decisions can be made.

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There are several factors that influence the success of commercial rooflight refurbishment projects. From choosing the correct daylight solution and getting the right technical advice through to installation support and ongoing service and maintenance. Schedules are often tight, so it helps to have the involvement of a rooflight manufacturer who can offer support, knowledge and technical expertise that can deliver a renovation project within a set time frame.

The Old Royal Station in Ballater 

Daylight solutions for airports and railway stations represent a challenge to designers. But it is one that has excellent rewards for people who often use these crowded spaces. In airports or train stations commuters often feel frustrated or overwhelmed. But these emotions can be positively affected by good daylight design.

Jumbo Food Market with Vario Thermal System as rooflight installation

Brick and mortar stores competing with online buyers need to maximize customer experience. Retail spaces with natural daylighting deliver a fuller shopping experience for customers; good daylight also creates an enjoyable environment for employees. Natural light creates a comfortable space that is inviting to spend time in. Roof glazing solutions can be cost-effective and have the potential to reduce artificial energy consumption.

Sports Centre Bertrange with special Grillodur daylight system

Daylight solutions enrich the recreational experiences people have when using sports facilities. Natural light in a well-being environment assists in keeping users comfortable when exercising. Communal facilities are better utilized when your building has evenly distributed illuminance levels, and lots of fresh air. A connection to the outside is proven to improve mood and the overall well-being of people.

Sophie Amalie Gaarden with glass panel installation

Incorporating daylighting into healthcare building design has several benefits. Good daylighting canassist with patient recovery and connects people with the outdoors. This is particularly important for patients spending long periods of time recovering from treatment or operations. But it also helps employees to feel more comfortable in demanding roles. In the winter months, people suffering from (SAD) can improve mood by maximizing natural light exposure. Windows and roof glazing can play an important role in positivity, health and productivity.

The Bodmin Jail Hotel

Realizing the potential of daylight in hotel and conference centre projects has several benefits. Guest and visitors can experience better time spent in more natural communal spaces. While staff have shown improved happiness and an increase in productivity.

A birds eye view of Otto Shuner AG rooflight installations

Maximizing your industrial buildings daylight has several operational benefits. Good daylight provisions increase the comfort, health and productivity of your employees. Good daylight design can also help you to make safety an operational priority. Whether a warehouse, factory or HQ-VELUX Commercial can help you select the safest solution.

Three Nordhavn terminals with rooflight installations

Daylight solutions help to create quality, attractive, and comfortable spaces to spend time in. A range of rooflight solutions are available to maximize natural light exposure in public buildings. Public buildings are freely available to the public and accessible for use by all citizens. Community spaces such as town halls are also considered to be public buildings.

 An exterior view of office Appel

Daylight solutions can improve productivity, comfort and the well-being of office employees. Daylighting is also energy-efficient and cost effective, reducing reliance on artificial lighting. Check out our eBook: Designing daylight solutions for commercial buildings for a closer look at the impact of daylight on occupants in commercial buildings and incorporating daylight into building design.

Outside of our homes, most of our time is spent at work. Since the digital age began workplaces have made the move into office-based settings. But it is still possible to maintain a connection with the outdoors with good daylight design.

A learning environment with students sat studying beneath rooflight installations that provide natural light

We all know that the best antidote to the ‘winter blues’ is a break in a warmer, sunnier climate, preferably with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters.

Ecole Maternelle René Guest featuring VELUX Modular Skylights

One important function of the building envelope is to protect the interior from unwanted outdoor noise. Sound insulation is an important parameter of building components, as outdoor noise can have negative effects on health, mood and learning capabilities.

Children in classroom with lots of daylight - VELUX Commercial

Giving young school children a sense of ownership of "their" classroom promotes a sense of self-worth and responsibility and has also been shown to improve academic performance.

Aarup Municipality is rebuild for a day care center/kindergarten

Schools are complex environments, where a wide variety of factors interplay to determine the kind of experience children will have, whether in the physical, intellectual or social domain.

Children in the hall with skylights, Roskilde Katedralskole

Have you ever thought about how 64 million European children spend more time at school than anywhere else other than their own home?

Daylight & Architecture

While the science of well-being is relatively nascent, the UK Government’s ‘Foresight’ project sheds a great deal of light on five factors that have a proven effect on well-being¹, leading to the definition of the Five Ways to Well-Being (connect, keep active, take notice, keep learning, give).² The question remains, though, how do we design buildings that can positively influence these five factors?

Almere Centrum Railway Station

A complete roof and façade refurbishment has transformed Almere Centrum railway station into a commuter space bursting with natural light.