Mark Cavagnero grew up in a dark world. His childhood home in Connecticut had small windows that never let in enough sunlight. Cavagnero, founding partner at San Francisco-based Mark Cavagnero Associates Architects, would spend as much time as he could outside even if it meant picking ice off the garage to play basketball in the middle of winter.
“I just cannot stand being in dark places,” he said. His need to be outside and in sunlight grew into a desire to incorporate natural light into the buildings he and his firm design. Floor-to-ceiling glass is prominently featured and natural light is taken into consideration in every project.
“Everyone is happier in a well-lit, balanced space,” he said. People are more productive in a workspace with more natural light, he said. Workers in an office with little natural light often feel fatigued during the day.