2024 - Backyard in the Sky: How Sunlight on Apartment Balconies Improved Mental Health During COVID-19

Backyard in the Sky: How Sunlight on Apartment Balconies Improved Mental Health During COVID-19

Introduction In 2020, a virus took over the world, leaving many people sick and others dying. What could be a science fiction film was our reality, without knowing the proportion that the pandemic would take on our lives. Authorities asked “stay at home”. Some people went to farms and farms, escaping urban centers. Others took their elderly people to their homes or apartments and were confined with them. Only essential service workers left home: doctors, police officers, municipal guards, etc.

The Balcony as a Space of Refuge We thought we would be confined for a month, but we ended up staying for more than a year. We felt the need to be in a sunny place, which changed our mood, making us more excited to carry out activities. In my room, I felt cloistered (Own research, 2024). I carried out a survey with 216 people from Rio de Janeiro about the influence of natural lighting on psychological issues, during the pandemic, for those who lived in an apartment.

Impact of the Pandemic on Apartments It’s ironic to think of someone in Rio de Janeiro, with so much natural beauty, without being able to leave home. But beyond that, it was dealing with psychological issues inside an apartment. The balcony became the most important and most transformed room, serving as a gourmet area, space for yoga, work, study, leisure for children and pets, gardens, protest area, contemplation and stage for shows.

The Importance of Balconies The balcony is an item in the housing program as necessary and important as the living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. (HORTA, Eduardo Pereira, 2024). Natural light is essential for humans, as in addition to helping with the absorption of vitamin D, it regulates the circadian rhythm. Without large windows, balconies or balconies, residents may face a number of psychological issues.

Benefits of Natural Light The interviewees’ answers proved the importance of natural light. The windows allowed the contemplation of nature, distracting the mind and providing an escape from worries. The indirect light that entered the house illuminated the environment, offering visual comfort. One interviewee stated: “I could look outside the house and go without a mask. Feeling the fresh morning air and sunbathing on my bench helped on days when I felt homesick. It gave a boost to the soul.” The lack of these elements had a profound impact on some, making the apartment a prison due to the lack of natural light.

Testimonies from Interviewees Another statement highlighted: “It allowed me to sunbathe, look at nature, relax and exercise. This helped a lot to preserve my mental and physical health” (Own research, 2024).

Balcony: Much More Than a Decorative Element Although Complementary Law No. 198 of January 14, 2019 treats these spaces as decorative elements, the pandemic has shown that the balcony has a much more significant role. “Feeling the warmth of the sun was like feeling a hug from my favorite person. I cried when I was able to sunbathe for the first time after the pandemic” (Own research, 2024). Balconies are the substitutes for backyards in heights (HORTA, Eduardo Pereira, 2024).

Conclusion If it was already difficult to go through this period in a house, imagine an apartment with few and poorly sized windows. No contact with light, sun, ventilation and rain. Did just a balcony make a difference? Would this room have differentiated the lives of these residents? “My balcony became a place of contact with the outside world. I could breathe and leave the four-walled environment; looking at the sky and seeing people passing by helped a lot; I didn’t have any major problems other than fear…” (Own research, 2024). Awareness and education about the role of balconies must go through measures in urban planning and building legislation. If we decide that the balcony is fundamental, it should not be considered “tolerated”, as described in Decree 322, which influenced the occupation of several neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro (HORTA, Eduardo Pereira, 2024). If more attention was paid to this element in vertical constructions, we would have fewer psychological issues among residents. The balcony cannot be overlooked, which is the only indoor and outdoor space in the apartment, bringing lighting, ventilation and a feeling of well-being.

Research reports confirm this need: “The outdoor space made me not feel so trapped; Just knowing that I was in an outdoor place made me feel better, less trapped, less enclosed. I used spaces that I didn’t use before, like my balcony. It became a gym, a place to sunbathe; a space close to the windows helped me concentrate better and maintain circadian cycles. wind and nature” (Own research, 2024).