Research

CASBE Daylight for Health Research Project – Victorian apartments

Australians spend most of their time indoors, and exposure to daylight is vital for health, especially for regulating sleep and mental wellbeing.

Daylight standards in Victoria’s planning frameworks were developed in 2012. Since then, research and industry practices have evolved. CASBE has conducted new research to define adequate daylight based on human health needs, finding that exposure to daylight is essential for circadian rhythm regulation and overall wellbeing. Adequate daylight is defined as 200 lux for at least half of winter daylight hours, tailored to room type.

However, current standards and the NCC do not reliably deliver this level of daylight, especially in apartment designs with deep rooms, privacy screens, balcony overhangs, and lightwells.

CASBE’s benchmark offers a clearer way to assess daylight quality, beyond simple measures like ceiling height or room depth. These findings have been shared with planning authorities, and CASBE is open to further collaboration to improve standards across Victoria.

Our Project Summary provides an overview of how we are evolving our approach to daylight and the multi-stage research and modelling undertaken to support this.

The CASBE commissioned research papers include:

Stage 1 – Health impacts of daylight in buildings, prepared for Municipal Association of Victoria (Wilmot, K., Wynne, L., Berry, F., Thomas, L., Ulas, E. B., and McGee, C. 2019)

Stage 2 – Daylight Levels in Victorian Buildings, Stage 2, Modelling Research Report (Aurecon Australasia, 2024)

Stage 3a – Daylight Levels in Victorian Buildings Stage 3a – Case Study Modelling (LID Consulting, 2025)

Our Indoor Environment Quality Fact Sheet can help with design strategies for developments.

The BESS tool notes describe how the new daylight standards are being applied.

To support better design outcomes, CASBE’s research continues with tools like a simplified calculator and guide to help assess daylight in residential buildings without complex modelling.

CASBE welcomes feedback on the new daylight standards via the contact form.

Climate Change & Planning in Victoria

In 2021, CASBE partnered with the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances to commission a research report entitled Climate Change & Planning in Victoria: Ensuring Victoria’s planning system effectively tackles climate change.

This project arose as a result of the disconnect between high level policy positions on climate change, both by State and local government, and the day-to-day decisions that are being made.

Download the Climate Change & Planning in Victoria: Ensuring Victoria’s planning system effectively tackles climate change here.