While doing some work in the library, I was struck by the stark contrast between the artificial lighting in the building and the beautiful day outside. We were all sitting under the sterile, flat light to study when we could just as easily have taken our books out to read on the grass in the sunshine. I noticed how the "feel" of the light was so vastly different even just a few feet away. The magnetic draw of the daylight through the glass windows was palpable. It made me think of the difference we talked about in class (on the Kelvin scale) between the fluorescent lights at 4200K and the sun at 6500K. Even though both environments were equally functional for the task at hand, I certainly found myself gravitating towards the perceived warmth of the sun. If I were to design a space for people to linger and enjoy their reading, I would probably use lighting which was more welcoming and less clinical in our subconscious impression of it.
Really great observation. There are office buildings out there that use a system of mirrored tubes in the building to route natural (sun) light throughout the offices because of how much it increases productivity.
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