“Today, we spend about ninety per cent of our time inside, often losing our connection to nature and the outdoors,” says Anders Dam Vestergaard, VELUX Executive Vice President, North America, Europe and APAC. “As building practices developed, multi-space homes have become the norm in western societies. These layouts trade daylight and fresh air for privacy and convenience,” he adds.

In Australia, these shifts are being accelerated by very real pressures. Homes are becoming smaller and more tightly planned as our cities densify, blocks narrow and multi-storey living becomes more common. At the same time, rising energy costs are forcing homeowners to think differently about comfort, while growing evidence continues to link access to daylight and fresh air with better health, wellbeing and performance at home.

Anders points to well‑documented shifts in how we build and live, including the move from “constant ventilation” to closed interiors, rising indoor time, and the health impacts of low daylight and poor airflow. In Europe, a third of people live in inferior housing that affects health, with similar daylight and ventilation issues recognised in Australia and New Zealand.

Backed by more than eighty years of global daylight and fresh-air know-how, VELUX develops and tests skylight and roof window solutions specifically for Australian conditions. Here, Mr Vestergaard outlines three practical ways Australian homes can reconnect with the outdoors — improving comfort, reducing reliance on artificial energy, and creating spaces that simply feel better to live in, even in dense urban environments.

Bring daylight into the rooms we actually live in

Many modern homes are bright at the edges but dark at their core, particularly in kitchens, hallways and living areas where families spend most of their time.

“Daylight has a powerful impact on how a home feels,” says Anders Dam Vestergaard. “When natural light comes from above, it reaches deeper into the home, changes throughout the day and creates a much stronger sense of connection to the outdoors.”

Introducing daylight through the roof allows light to penetrate areas that traditional vertical windows often can’t reach – opening up internal spaces, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and making homes feel larger, brighter and more liveable. Done well, these improvements can lift everyday enjoyment of a home and contribute to its long-term value, far beyond the initial investment.

Let homes breathe naturally again

As homes have become more airtight and mechanically cooled, many have lost their ability to refresh indoor air naturally.

“A home that can release heat, moisture and stale air simply feels better to live in,” says Mr Vestergaard. “Fresh air is essential to comfort, especially in spaces like kitchens, bathrooms and living areas.”

Designing for natural air movement, allowing warm air to rise and escape while drawing in cooler, fresh air, can significantly reduce heat build-up and reliance on air conditioning. In a cost-of-living environment where energy bills are under pressure, this natural airflow can play a meaningful role in reducing day-to-day running costs, while improving comfort year-round.

Health authorities, including the World Health Organization, link poor ventilation and persistent dampness with respiratory issues, reinforcing the importance of planned airflow in modern homes.

Focus on how a home feels, not just how it looks

A beautifully designed home can still feel flat, artificial or uncomfortable if daylight and fresh air aren’t considered properly.

“We’ve become very good at designing homes to look impressive, but not always to feel good,” says Mr Vestergaard.

Research continues to show that people function better in environments with access to natural light and fresh air, supporting mood, concentration, sleep quality and overall wellbeing. As more Australians work, study and spend long periods at home, the way a home feels has a direct impact on how people perform within it.

Rather than blocking out daylight to manage glare or heat, thoughtful design uses softer, filtered light and intelligent shading to maintain brightness without discomfort – preserving the qualities that make spaces feel alive and comfortable throughout the day.

“We don’t need to choose between comfort and connection to nature,” Mr Vestergaard says.
“Homes filled with daylight and refreshed by fresh air don’t just look better, they perform better, cost less to live in, and feel better every single day.”

Bringing the ideas to life in the VELUX Virtual Reality Showroom

These principles come to life in the newly launched VELUX Virtual Reality Showroom, where visitors can step inside a virtual home and experience how daylight and fresh air change the feel of a space. Using immersive technology, the showroom allows homeowners, builders and designers to see how light enters from above, how air can naturally move through a home, and how thoughtful control of light supports everyday comfort, helping people understand the impact of these design choices before they build or renovate.

For more information

For more than 70 years, the VELUX Group has created better living environments for people around the world. Making the most of daylight and fresh air through the roof. Our product programme includes roof windows and modular skylights as well as a range of decoration and sun screenings, roller shutters, installation solutions and intelligent home controls. These products help to ensure a healthy and sustainable indoor climate. For work and learning. For play and pleasure. We work globally – with sales and manufacturing operations in more than 40 countries and around 10,000 employees worldwide. The VELUX Group is owned by VKR Holding A/S, a limited company wholly owned by foundations and family.

For more information, visit www.velux.com.

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