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.
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
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