ABSTRACT
Biological rhythms are key elements controlling physiological activities. Operating at various frequencies, these rhythms must be coordinated to achieve optimum health and well-being. For optimal health and well-being in interior architecture, environmental illumination supports improved circadian photoreception by using natural daylight together with electric lighting that mimics light from the sun and the solar day. For interior design, use natural illumination together with electric lighting to provide ambient light while controlling glare with window treatments. While design regulations for indoor lighting focus on light levels for specific visual tasks, designers still need to consider the possible adverse health effects of electric lighting that could disrupt the building occupant's temporal hygiene. Chronobioengineering uses knowledge gleaned from the natural world out of which we evolved to guide design of the built world into which we find ourselves living today. It is easy to maximize natural daylight in the design of the indoor environment for health and wellness.
