Measuring the effect of architectural plan type and receiving natural light on residents’ sense of comfort in low-rise houses

The set of effects of natural light on humans can be examined in the two forms of psychological and biological processes. Today, people spend most of their life indoor during the day. Therefore, providing the possibility of suitable daylight to enter these closed spaces is considered completely desirable to improve the biological quality and to increase their level of health, comfort, and efficiency. The main purpose of the current study is to provide design strategies and present appropriate spatial arrangement in order to benefit from day-light and improve the life quality of residents living in low-rise houses. To this aim, descriptive-analytical and survey method as well as the Light Meter tool have been used. The statistical population of the study includes the residents of six low-rise residential houses in Shahkola neighborhood of Babol who have a neighborly relationship with each other. The research finds that in spring and summer, the largest amount of natural light enters the interior of the houses. It is worthy to mention that after the deep interviews, the results showed that people felt more relaxed in spaces with sufficient natural light especially the southern light. In contrast, they felt unmotivated in spaces with poor natural light. Consequently, by using different type of design strategies such as large window expanded from floor to ceiling and wider openings on the east and west fronts, more natural light can be received in the interior spaces. Additionally, it is better to use the U-shaped system in the arrangement of spaces such as living rooms or receptions to divide equally day-light for all residents.