Missing Factors in Daylighting Standards: A Study of Desired Activities and Task Performance in a Sunlit Room

Current quantitative daylighting standards are insufficient to guarantee a high-quality daylighting experience because they fail to consider occupants' behavior. This research investigates occupants' behavioral responses to a sunlit room. Investigations of subjects' declared sitting preference and their task performance indicated that subjects were generally attracted to sunlight and outdoor views, but they did not necessarily perform best in these areas. Instead, privacy and a sense of control were two hidden factors that greatly affected subjects' decision and performance. The perceived problem of visual glare caused by sunlight penetration did not affect performance as much as subjects believed it would.