The influence of daylight on number of patronage to shopping complex

Abstract

The research explores the effects of daylight components in the interior of shopping complex on influencing the number of patronage. The research objective is to show that shopping complexes with more daylight attract more patronage. The research hypothesis is that commercial buildings with more daylight components will have more patronage or customers. The research began with a building framework that functions as the structure for the building selection. A building inventory was formed to assist in the building selection. Prior to the building framework, topics such as definition of shopping complex, basic benchmarking, factors affecting patronage and lighting was covered. Based on these research, Subang Parade and Summit USJ were chosen as case studies. Selected shopping complexes with similar characteristics and attributes that bear the controlled variables or factors that could affect people to come to shopping complexes other than light was selected and then compared with the one and only variable left which was light. This was based on the fact that light affects human behaviors. Data collected for this research were luminance level and patronage count. The research found that shopping complex with daylight components had higher patronage count compared to shopping complex with no daylight component. It is hoped that this research would contribute to the awareness on the value of daylight in buildings especially in shopping complexes in Malaysia.