{"id":4904,"date":"2025-09-01T11:09:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T11:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nordnest.se\/?p=4904"},"modified":"2026-02-10T12:42:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:42:54","slug":"daylight-under-new-rules-what-bbr-31-means-for-homes-in-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nordnest.se\/en\/daylight-under-new-rules-what-bbr-31-means-for-homes-in-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Daylight Under New Rules: What M\u00f6jligheternas byggregler Means for Homes in the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">by Alexander Perez, Nordnest<\/h2>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Daylight: The Hidden Force in Our Homes<\/h2>\n\n<p>Daylight is more than just a pleasant feature. It shapes health, sleep, energy use and even influences the sustainability of buildings.<\/p>\n\n<p>Research shows that access to natural light can:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduce stress<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve concentration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support our circadian rhythm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lower household energy demand<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>In other words, daylight is both a human need and a building performance factor.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A New Playing Field<\/h2>\n\n<p>For years, the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning set strict rules: every room where people spend time like bedrooms, living rooms and kitchens had to achieve a median daylight factor of at least 1%.<\/p>\n\n<p>On 1 July 2025, the new BBR 31 came into force. Now the rules are different:<\/p>\n\n<p>Only 50% of the total floor area of habitable rooms needs to reach a daylight factor of 1%. This means not every individual room needs natural light anymore. In practice this means a kitchen or a bedroom could be left dark if another space balances it out.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is a game-changer for both residents and those designing our homes.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Shift?<\/h3>\n\n<p>The aim is flexibility. The old rules were tough to meet:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Renovations often couldn\u2019t comply without drastic changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New builds in dense urban areas struggled due to overshadowing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed layouts sometimes made compliance impossible<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>By measuring daylight at the dwelling level instead of room by room, BBR 31 makes it easier to adapt older housing stock and approve new projects in challenging contexts.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the Research Shows<\/h3>\n\n<p>A 2025 FOJAB study puts numbers on the change.<\/p>\n\n<p>Analysing 675 rooms across 248 flats with poor daylight conditions, the study found:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Under BBR 30: 46% of dwellings passed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Under BBR 31: 75% passed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>It also showed that:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>30% more flats on critical floors now meet requirements<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Through-apartments (with multiple orientations) benefit most<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deep structures and dense plots still struggle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>And when residents were asked:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They were most willing to accept a darker bedroom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They were far less willing to accept a dark kitchen or living room.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>So, while more dwellings will now pass, some homes may contain spaces that feel unexpectedly gloomy.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What This Means in Practice<\/h3>\n\n<p>For residents, the change could be surprising. Imagine moving into a brand-new apartment and finding a kitchen without windows which was impossible under the old rules.<\/p>\n\n<p>For architects and developers, the regulation opens new opportunities:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More creative layouts<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Greater efficiency in space use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Smoother approvals in dense urban sites or renovations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lessons From Daily Practice<\/h3>\n\n<p>Those of us who work with daylight daily through simulations, planning applications and environmental certifications see both the opportunities and the challenges.<\/p>\n\n<p>Used well, daylight can:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthen health and wellbeing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduce energy use with free solar gain and at the same time avoid overheating when designed smartly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve project economics at the same time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Used poorly, the result is clear: dark rooms, compromised quality of life and less energy efficient buildings.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion: Finding the Balance<\/h2>\n\n<p>Daylight is something we only notice when it\u2019s missing. With BBR 31, daylight is no longer guaranteed in every room, but the regulation does open new possibilities.<\/p>\n\n<p>Research suggests more dwellings will pass approval, but also that more dark rooms will appear. The responsibility now shifts to us in the industry.<\/p>\n\n<p>It\u2019s not just about following what\u2019s permitted. It\u2019s about finding solutions that satisfy residents\u2019 expectations, clients\u2019 needs and long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n\n<p>At Nordnest, this is our focus: treating daylight as an opportunity. By balancing comfort, economy and sustainability, we design homes where light, function and economy work together in the best possible way.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>The new rules change the game. The challenge and the opportunity is to make sure daylight continues to make life brighter.<span style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Alexander Perez, Nordnest Daylight: The Hidden Force in Our Homes Daylight is more than just a pleasant feature. It&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,28,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insights","category-real-estate-en","category-sustainability"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Daylight Under New Rules: What M\u00f6jligheternas byggregler Means for Homes in the Future - Nordnest.se<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nordnest.se\/en\/daylight-under-new-rules-what-bbr-31-means-for-homes-in-the-future\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Daylight Under New Rules: What M\u00f6jligheternas byggregler Means for Homes in the Future - Nordnest.se\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Alexander Perez, Nordnest Daylight: The Hidden Force in Our Homes Daylight is more than just a pleasant feature. 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