This paper reports on a state-of-the-art study quantifying the health and human impacts of daylighting
strategies and views quality from windows on employees health in offices. The study attempts to quantify an important
yet not scientifically proven assumption concerning the biophilic relationship between views of nature and daylighting in
the workplace and their impacts on sick leave of office workers. The specific hypothesis tested is; that employees with a
view of nature will take fewer sick days, have fewer Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) symptoms than those with a view of
urban structures, or with no views out at all. A corollary hypothesis is whether daylight availability and dynamic lighting
quality in offices could also play a role in reducing the number of sick leave hours and SBS symptoms related to poor
circadian rhythms and hypersensitivity. This is an objective to answer and quantify a long debated hypothesis regarding
the importance non-residential building occupants place on the need to be in contact with nature/the outdoors while
working within a building. This paper reports on a three-phase long-term study.
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