Solarchitect | Sunbeam carpenter Profile picture
Nov 23, 2020 • 14 tweets • 4 min read • Read on X
Why any kind of artificial light is BAD for You?

đź’ˇilluminative threadđź’ˇ Image
Your daily energy cycle and mental freshness is controlled by your circadian rythm.

Circadian rythm is controlled by the path and the vital light of the Sun. Image
Ever since the dawn (hic) of man, we were guided by the cycle of the Sun.

For thousands of years.

Every day. Image
Therefore the rythm of the human body...

The sleep cycle, the hormones, the alertness...

stress and hunger…

…are all controlled by the Sun.

Embrace this fact.
Our biological clock wakes us up when the Sun rises.

It is most natural.

Blood presure rises, cortisol is secreted as the sunlight signals the coming of the day for our eyes.

Sunrise has a crisp white colour, starts at 3000K and gradually goes up. Image
In the morning, testosterone secretion is on the highest level,

probably because most battles and fights were fought at dawn/morning. Image
It is also when we are the most creative and productive in terms of mental activity.
Afternoon is the time when we have the greatest muscle strenght and cardiovascular efficiency.

It was theorised that these were the times for traveling by foot, foraging and daytime hunting. Image
The most important thing though…

We spent 8-16 hours under the Sun getting exposed to abundant, energizing light.

Actually 1000x more light than what we get now in our apartments. Image
And after the Sun set, we were in pitch dark until dawn.
Well, almost…

The color of the candle and bonfire is 1800-2000K, and is very gentle.

So no wonder our 3000-6000K screens and lightbulbs and streetlights are ravaging our body and mind,

Causing all kinds of metabolic and hormonal disfunctions, insomnia, etc. Image
But what about LEDs, you ask?

Well…

The second picture tells my answer.

The nasty thing about LEDs is that their luminance and cheapness is given by

the blue LED diode which as you might have guessed is very distruptive for your health. ImageImage
My conclusion is,

we should tune into the natural cycle and not use any artificial lights EVER.

If we must, I suggest dim red or orange LEDs (under 2000K) and heavy color filters on all your devices.

The best is F.LUX for the computer, I have been using it for ages...
And please do avoid eating after sunset!

Your body and mind will thank you with improved metabolic health. Image

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More from @Solarchitects

Jun 29, 2023
7 tricks I use to make houses feel bigger - thread

Let's see them work in my latest project for a sustainable village, the first & most important:

1. Windows on multiple walls:

This pattern alone helps make spaces at least 20% bigger, it evens out light both in space & time.

2. Walking towards light

If you look closely, almost every circulation direction faces a window.

Sometimes just a small nieche for a flower and a sliver of light, but makes a big impact in how do we perceive space.

3. Ceiling height variety

This pattern gives a dynamic to any home, and especially lifts the feel and value of the living spaces. However it is easy to overdo or botch the proportions.

Higher ceilings lead to clearer thoughts.
Read 7 tweets
Mar 19, 2023
Self-building or managing building your own home with a design of your choice or completely custom has many advantages over buying a home on the market:

- customisation
- cost control/savings
- quality control
- health & energy efficiency
- pride of ownership

- a short thread
1. By self-building you can customise

- size of home
- exterior design, materials, style
- window sizes and orientation
- degrees of intimacy
- interior finishes
- equipments
- cabinetry
- phasing out different stages on the timeline
- cashflow
- and everything else
2. You can control costs by

- tailoring the size of the home specifically to your needs or finding a design that suits you
- you can do some work yourself or source materials directly
- can defer some phases for later (finishing some rooms later, landscaping etc.)
Read 7 tweets
Mar 18, 2023
How to build better with the most conventional & affordable structure?

Timber Frame megathread is here!

I'll present you traditional framing ideas, the popular stick built and some cool evolutions that can be used especially in solar timber frame builds.

Let's dive in

↓
1. Post n beam

- the simple classic timber framing style that uses thick timber posts, beams and rafters held together primarily through mortise & tennon joints fastened with wooden pins.

It grants an air of timeless stability and safety.

Source: Hand hewn by Jack Sobon.
2. Cruck frame

-is a unique evolution of post and beam that uses curved timber beams to create high ceilings, wider spans, all in harmony with gravity.

It conveys an atmosphere of both grace and resilience, you feel these can weather out history.

My favorite framing pattern!
Read 15 tweets
Jan 21, 2023
13. Farmhouse kitchen

The kitchen is the most important public space of any home, the true family room, the center of activity.

Must the bright, spacious, fully equipped to handle all cooking, not separated from the rest of the house but in the center of it.
14. Spa bathroom

Cleaning up is only a small part of bathing, bathing involves a whole host of other activities we forgot in our quest for modernity.

Those pleasurable, therapeutic activities that clean our mind and senses can only be enjoyed in a proper bathing room.
15. Kid's nooks and common realms

Designing cookie cutter individual rooms for children is harmful. In their early years it is much better to create a large common learn and playroom & some small sleeping nooks at either end.

This arrangement is much healthier for youngsters.
Read 8 tweets
Jan 21, 2023
A framework to create buildings that are alive.

The most important evolution for my practice was discovering Christopher Alexander & his work, specially his Timeless Way of Building & A Pattern Language books.

Here are my favourite patterns defined by him:

{29th thread of 30}
1. A thousand independent regions

"Wherever possible, work toward the evolution of independent regions in the world; each with a population between 2 and 10M; each with its own natural and geographic boundaries; each with its own economy each one autonomous and self-governing"
This is the very first principle laid out by Ch.A., basically his call for a decentralised world of a thousand collaborating regions,

something akin to how Switzerland and Austria still manage to operate today as small but independent and resilient countries.
Read 17 tweets
Jan 16, 2023
You live up north and want to build your energy-independent eskimo hut for the 21st century?

Buckle up 'cause here's my thread for better buildings in cold & arctic climates.

28th thread of 30.



Here's a map with climate zones so you can identify where you belong:

Cold - light blue
Arctic - pale blue.

Temperatures are determined by many factors, but it is very important to know your latitude because it determines the travel of the sun in winter & potential heat gains.
Solar principle - The norther you go the more important is to orient the home to the exact south because the sun has a narrower travel in the winter - from southeast to southwest.
Read 24 tweets

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