WELL Certification and Circadian Lighting- Comparative Daylight Analysis of Office Building Typologies in São Paulo and Berlin

Circadian rhythms are internal processes that reflect the 24-hour solar day and enable organisms to adjust to changes in their environment across time.Mood problems frequently coincide with disturbances in circadian clock-regulated reactions, whereas disturbances in circadian rhythms are linked to jet lag, night-shift employment, or exposure to artificial light during nighttime hours.Contemporary lifestyle habits cause a disturbance in the natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to the development of many illnesses.Circadian disruption is included as one of the variables, along with smoking, food, exhaustion, sleep quality, increasing body mass index, and obesity.The insufficient duration of daylight and the excessive exposure to artificial light during nighttime have resulted in a disconnection between individuals and their surroundings, leading to the emergence of psychological issues.The aim of this research is to assess the circadian capabilities of three building models based on WELL Certification criteria, compare their daylight distribution, and provide design principles for promoting circadian rhythm and enhancing users' well--being in office buildings.The Adaptive Lighting for Alertness (ALFA) tool was employed to compute the Equivalent Melanopic Lux for the WELL Certification criterion within the given scenarios.The results suggest that implementing shallow office layouts could benefit users by fostering a regular circadian rhythm, as it promotes a consistent circadian cycle, leading to enhanced sleep quality, decreased stress levels, and reduced risk of developing severe illnesses.