Following the COVID-19 crisis, home working has become the norm, but setting up an ideal working environment can be tricky.
New insight reveals why proximity to windows and natural light should be top of your requirement list.
After a recent YouGov poll revealed 57%1 of Brits who never worked at home prior to COVID-19 want to stay working from home in the future, it’s important that home workspaces are set up to create a positive and productive environment.
Experts from Specialist Glass Products delved into the impact natural lighting can have on your home office and recommend that homeworkers across the UK choose their workspace location in their homes based on whether the room is north, south, east or west facing:
South-facing Rooms
Ideal for winter home working and frequent video calls
As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the south side of any home will see the most hours of sunlight during the day.
If you want as much natural light as possible in your home office, then a south-facing aspect should be a big consideration when choosing where to set up your desk.
South-facing rooms will provide warm light all day which will help to create a relaxed working environment
If you’re doing long hours or on regular video calls, a south-facing location is recommended as it presents the most longevity in terms of regular natural light during the day.
South-facing rooms are suited to the following professions:
- PR
- Marketing
- HR
- Online training and education
North-facing Rooms
Perfect for visual and creative jobs
North-facing views provide lighting that is consistent throughout the day.
With natural light from northern exposure not being too harsh and not too dull, it perhaps makes it the ideal room for working from home.
Artists and those working in creative roles with multiple screens could be better suited to a north-facing workspace because the light gives truer colour rendition whilst they work
Although north-facing rooms can sometimes be fairly shady, temperatures will be more consistent meaning your home office could provide more comfortable working conditions if you are sensitive to temperature and are often engaging in heating or air-con battles in the office.
North-facing rooms are suited to the following professions:
- Artist
- IT
- Graphic designer
- Illustrator
East-facing Rooms
Suited to early risers and part-time workers
Lighting in east-facing home offices’ will be bright first thing in the morning followed by long shadows and little to no sun later in the day.
Allowing enough natural light first thing to awaken the senses creates a productive and positive workspace
To counteract the lack of direct sunlight in the afternoons, workers could use artificial lighting to control glare and maximise the available natural light.
If your working hours mean you start earlier or you work part-time in the mornings, an eastern facing home office is ideal for you.
East-facing rooms are suited to the following professions:
- Journalist
- Social media manager
- Architect
- Doctor
- Jobs which involve dealing with international markets
West-facing Rooms
Ideal for jobs with limited screen time
Rooms facing west bring more light during the afternoon. This sunlight comes with the hottest part of the day and can often cause glare.
In the late afternoon, west-facing working spaces will get long shadows and softer natural light.
Because the sun is so low in the sky, west-facing windows often get direct sunlight blazing through them
Since strong light makes screens harder to see, west-facing windows should be taken into consideration if your job involves a lot of screentime
West-facing rooms are suited to the following professions:
- Call handler
- Personal Assistant
- Seamstress
- Beautician
Andrew Taylor, joint Managing Director at Specialist Glass Products says, “Lighting should play a big part in choosing where to set up your home workspace as too little, too harsh or too bright natural light can be detrimental to home workers.”
“Warm light, from firelight or shaded lamps, is often used to help promote relaxation whereas cold light, such as natural daylight, can improve productivity and alertness.
“This means that being in close proximity to natural light and windows is ideal for a home office.”
“Paying attention to which room of your home you set up your desk could be the difference between a happy and productive work environment and unsettling or distracting surroundings”
Andrew Taylor, Specialist Glass Products
“We recommend people who are working from home, take the time to reflect on their current home office set up and whether this is best suited to their working day as well as their profession,” Andrew concludes.
To find out more and plan your home office location, please visit Specialist Glass Products.
