Hello, I’m your host, and today we’re shining a light on a big problem in modern offices: too many workspaces are trapped in the dark, driving up energy costs and sapping employee well-being. Boston’s CBT architecture firm has been experimenting with passive strategies—no extra power needed—to bring daylight deeper into these gloomy floors.

“Some office buildings are simply not blessed with natural light,” says CBT associate principal Tyler Lombardi. His team uses curves instead of rigid 90-degree walls to bend sunlight “40 or 50 yards down” into formerly pit-like interiors. Reflective paints and shiny surfaces help milk every last ray, and even the bevels on shelving are fine-tuned to soften harsh shadows.

Advanced 3D light studies show how small tweaks—window height here, wall curve there—can flood a room at just the right hour. As Lombardi notes, “a successful project may hide those complexities,” proving that the simplest materials and shapes can make a workspace feel bright, open, and alive.
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