The impact of changing light on the well-being of people at work

Peter Dehoff, ZUMTOBEL STAFF The Light, Austria

Keywords

dynamic lighting, lighting control, human factors, direct-indirect lighting, alertness, shiftwork

Abstract

Today it is well accepted that the subjective well-being and emotional condition of people working in an office are influenced by artificial light. Still, artificial lighting is mainly design as a static solution hopefully fulfilling basic ergonomical aspects. But learning from nature people expect changes in lighting over the day. So modern lighting design should be aware of the people's expectations for lighting conditions.

The various ways in which interior lighting can be changed should also communicate meaningfulness. In this context, it is worth remembering that the primordial human experience of sight is characterised by daylight. Although daylight is constantly changing, human beings are intuitively familiar with these changes and in tune with them. By contrast, changes in artificial lighting have been achieved with the assistance of modern technology. With the development of electronics and the spread of lighting management systems, it has only recently become possible to modify artificial lighting to suit almost any requirements. In the planning stages, a story board or lighting script, which records what happens in a room and how light interacts with these processes, can be a useful tool. Artificial lighting has now become a dynamic element within the design of a room. The term Active Light is used to describe meaningful changes in lighting.

By using the storyboard fto communicate with the user the designer finds out simply what lighting situations have to be prepared and how they should change. This is a new approach in interior lighting design, which gives more importance to the well-being of the user.