Light as a biophilic medium: Workspaces with no view to nature

Abstract: A substantial part of our lives is spent in offices where lighting is affecting our well-being and health, even if we are not aware of that. Offices are most commonly illuminated by high intensity ceiling lights or suspended linear luminaries which emit uniform light over our heads and cause glare. In this thesis, I question this practice from perspectives of visual ergonomics and well-being and suggest a biophilic approach to lighting. Biophilic design strategies can guide us in a direction of creating comfortable visual environment and improving our well-being along with boosting work performance and creativity. This thesis explores ways to incorporate biophilic lighting design into workspaces that lack views to nature on a case study of an open office in Stockholm, Sweden. Results of this study support the existing knowledge that downlights cause glare and should not be used above desks where people sit for prolonged period of time. I propose conceptual design solutions for indirect ambient lighting and indirect task lighting which are glare free and tuneable in terms of light intensity and correlated colour temperature. Other suggested biophilic lighting solutions include dappled light and water reflection effects, as well as interactive dynamic digital lighting depicting water movements.