LIGHTING


Furthermore, the areas of the brain responsible for spatial mapping are extremely sensitive to the zenith, the highest point above our heads, and the perceived horizon line, the farthest point in front of us. When we are surrounded by a natural landscape, our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) triggers a relaxation response, and our body decompresses. In enclosed interiors, we tend to look for visual exit points that provide access to a larger space. Therefore, daylight loses its spatial attribute when it is confined to fixture-based systems that focus on illuminance and spectrum alone.


Work for NASA In 2022, Foster + Partners invited our studio to participate in a technological capabilities demonstration for a


space agency (NASA) that was researching modular habitat deployments for extraterrestrial missions. While the project’s main focus involved 3D printing technology and synthetic proteins as potential building materials, the design team was also interested in the available published research on biophilic illusions of nature, and their ability to create a perceived zenith in an isolated environment. The Foster + Partners team looked at a new image- based dynamic lighting system called IRIS that uses sky photography in a such a way that overhead installations render a palpable illusion of vertical volume. When the depth illusion seduces our hardwired habits of perception into recognising the sensory-rich stimulus as matching our past experiences of looking up at the sky, the body reaps the benefits of spatial polarity. It turns out that a dramatic


Above left: Therapeutic effects of biophilic illusions, Covenant Health, EHDC graphic.


Above: HERD Journal Neuroaesthetics and positive outcomes.


August 2025 Health Estate Journal 65


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