LIGHTING AND ITS IMPACT
Circadian lighting and biophilic refurbishment
The impacts on health and wellbeing of circadian lighting in buildings are being investigated in two research projects – one completed and one ongoing – by building science centre, BRE. One compares the effects on people of a dynamic lighting system, and the other examines the biophilic refurbishment of a building, including the role of lighting. As Cosmin Ticleanu, a principal consultant in Lighting at BRE, and Flavie Lowres, an associate director in the organisation’s Strategy and Innovation team, explain, the aim is to provide hard scientific evidence for the health and wellbeing benefits – and guidance for achieving them – of circadian lighting and other aspects of biophilic design.
Figure 1: Condition 1 - Old constant fluorescent lighting, i.e. the office’s existing lighting.
There is a growing awareness of the benefits of building designs that focus on the needs of people, including those for access to natural elements and lighting. Research-based evidence on the impact of building and interior design on health is clear. In practice, however, building design often pays too little attention to the wellbeing of occupants, ignoring potential impacts on people’s mental, social, and physical health. It is widely accepted that being in natural environments, or having views or depictions of nature and natural materials, can help to improve wellbeing. They can alleviate negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, depression, and stress, while helping people to feel calm and be inspired. Most of us, though, spend the majority of our lives in buildings that isolate us from natural elements.
Biophilic design
This disconnection with the natural world was observed by American psychologist, Edward O Wilson, in the 1980s. He popularised the term “biophilia” (love of nature). Biophilic design is a people- focused approach that recognises the importance of connecting to the natural world. This is not just about incorporating plants in buildings – although that is often
Figure 2: Condition 2 – The new dynamic LED system, with variable LED lighting at a lower level.
a factor – but also making use of natural materials and textures, colour variations, personalised workspaces, views, refuge spaces, and much more besides. Biophilic design often includes the provision of high quality natural and artificial lighting which takes account of the impact that lighting has on people’s circadian rhythms.
Circadian rhythms
Circadian rhythms control human alertness and sleep, the release of hormones, and various bodily functions. Daily exposure to light of the right spectrum, at the right intensity, angle, and time, and for the right duration – and with the right combination of bright light during the day and darkness at night –
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Daily exposure to light of the right spectrum, at the right intensity, angle, and time, and for the right duration, can help to synchronise our circadian clocks
can help to synchronise our circadian clocks, enabling us to feel alert during the day and sleepy at night.
This has prompted the development of ‘circadian lighting’ for buildings, with the aim of helping to maintain the correct timing of the occupants’ circadian clocks in spaces with insufficient exposure to daylight. Most commonly the idea is to improve alertness during daylight and working hours, and then change to lower brightness, warmer-coloured lighting in preparation for rest.
Evidence and guidance needed Innovative new buildings around the world are now being designed around their occupants’ health needs – maximising natural light, clean air, and so on, but this is not the reality for the great majority of people working in existing buildings, the owners and managers of which have limited budgets. Scientific evidence of the benefits to health and wellbeing – and guidance in achieving this – are needed if such personnel are to invest in refurbishments incorporating biophilic design principles, such as circadian lighting that follows daylight variation. As part of two research projects designed to meet this need – one
May 2020 Health Estate Journal 45
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