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Sunlight at Home: Exploring Preferences and Their Impact on Building Design

Czachura, Agnieszka LU ; Gentile, Niko LU ; Kanters, Jouri LU and Wall, Maria LU (2026)
Abstract
In dense urban housing, particularly at high latitudes, the provision of direct sunlight creates a critical trade-off between its value as a residential amenity and the need to ensure occupant comfort and energy-efficient performance. This study investigates indoor sunlight preferences through a national survey in Sweden, providing updated empirical evidence for residential building design. The findings reveal a significant appreciation for direct sunlight, with 90% of residents wanting sun in their homes. However, this desire is conditional, defined by a hierarchy of priorities and a strong seasonal dynamic. When ranked against other qualities, abundant natural light and a pleasant view out were considered more important than direct... (More)
In dense urban housing, particularly at high latitudes, the provision of direct sunlight creates a critical trade-off between its value as a residential amenity and the need to ensure occupant comfort and energy-efficient performance. This study investigates indoor sunlight preferences through a national survey in Sweden, providing updated empirical evidence for residential building design. The findings reveal a significant appreciation for direct sunlight, with 90% of residents wanting sun in their homes. However, this desire is conditional, defined by a hierarchy of priorities and a strong seasonal dynamic. When ranked against other qualities, abundant natural light and a pleasant view out were considered more important than direct sunlight. This conditionality is underscored by a concern for summer overheating, which appears more prominent than in similar studies from previous decades. A key contribution of this paper is a practical, function-based guide that translates these nuanced preferences into recommended room orientations. The results call for a design approach that moves beyond maximizing static solar access towards creating flexible, user-controlled
environments that align with modern comfort expectations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
direct sunlight, urban planning, building design, Sweden, daylight, residential
host publication
Proceedings of the Solar World Congress 2025
pages
12 pages
publisher
International Solar Energy Society
ISBN
978-3-9826306-1-8
DOI
10.18086/swc.2025.08.24
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4058db36-d159-4748-9341-b23bb589ef7f
date added to LUP
2026-09-07 18:23:36
date last changed
2026-09-08 12:04:23
@inproceedings{4058db36-d159-4748-9341-b23bb589ef7f,
  abstract     = {{In dense urban housing, particularly at high latitudes, the provision of direct sunlight creates a critical trade-off between its value as a residential amenity and the need to ensure occupant comfort and energy-efficient performance. This study investigates indoor sunlight preferences through a national survey in Sweden, providing updated empirical evidence for residential building design. The findings reveal a significant appreciation for direct sunlight, with 90% of residents wanting sun in their homes. However, this desire is conditional, defined by a hierarchy of priorities and a strong seasonal dynamic. When ranked against other qualities, abundant natural light and a pleasant view out were considered more important than direct sunlight. This conditionality is underscored by a concern for summer overheating, which appears more prominent than in similar studies from previous decades. A key contribution of this paper is a practical, function-based guide that translates these nuanced preferences into recommended room orientations. The results call for a design approach that moves beyond maximizing static solar access towards creating flexible, user-controlled<br/>environments that align with modern comfort expectations.}},
  author       = {{Czachura, Agnieszka and Gentile, Niko and Kanters, Jouri and Wall, Maria}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of the Solar World Congress 2025}},
  isbn         = {{978-3-9826306-1-8}},
  keywords     = {{direct sunlight; urban planning; building design; Sweden; daylight; residential}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{International Solar Energy Society}},
  title        = {{Sunlight at Home: Exploring Preferences and Their Impact on Building Design}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/260212063/2026-Czachura-swc2025.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.18086/swc.2025.08.24}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}