Color me not surprised that this idea comes from England, Portland’s rainy spirit animal. The Photon Space is billed as a “luxury daylight suite,” a glass structure designed to maximize sun exposure during short- or long-term stays. Think of it as a vacay-sun.
Made entirely of glass, the structure offers not only 360-degree views but the ability to “precisely control the amount of light, glare, and heat” entering the structure. Inhabitants can change the intelligent from translucent to transparent with a switch, while blocking significant amounts of solar radiation (63 percent), UV transmittance (99.9 percent), and sound (85 percent). If you want to catch a nap during the day or some privacy at night, you can darken the Photon Space as well. The 485-square-foot units are modular and can accommodate a bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom.
Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, is part of the project. He’s done research on sleep cycles (you can see his TED Talk on the subject here), especially on how they’re regulated by light. Nine of the Photon Pods are being used in research by Foster and his team to study the effects of daylight on humans.
“The daylight shortly after dawn is 50 to 100 times brighter than artificial home or office light,” says Foster, according to the Photon Space’s website. “When we expose ourselves to this natural light it sets the body clock and increases alertness. it is like having a ‘Photon Shower.’ It makes you feel more alive and able to get on with your day.”
It takes around four weeks to build a Photon Space, and you can order your own for around $330,000, according to Gizmag. I could buy a lot of plane tickets to sunny islands for that …
