The findings of recent decades have contributed to the understanding that daylight is the most influential mediator of the circadian system and plays a vital role in the human system's essential functions coordination. Despite the large body of research on circadian light, the influence of the properties of the indoor built environment on the circadian aspects of the lighting environment is not yet entirely clear. Therefore, this doctoral dissertation explores the influence of the indoor built environment's optical and geometric properties on the circadian luminous environment (emphasizing optical properties). Latter properties' influence was evaluated based on side-lit cell offices, whose lighting environment was assessed based on experimental measurements and simulations. Experiments have shown that wall colour change more significantly affects the circadian potential than the change in saturation. Furthermore, window transmissivity exerts a more significant impact on the rooms' circadian potential than reflectivity. This was further confirmed by simulations, where the window was identified as the most influential building element. Moreover, the impact of all studied influential properties was identified as dependant on the user's position and view orientation. Simulations under different weather conditions and orientations illustrate that the circadian environment cannot be evaluated by established visual methods, except under specific conditions. The findings of this dissertation emphasize the importance of awareness about circadian aspects in the early design phases and the importance of raising buildings' occupant's awareness of selected materials' properties. Occupants, as shown by the conducted survey, choose materials of the internal environment based on personal preference.
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