We’ve known for a long time that letting in natural light to dark spaces promotes healthier living.
But sometimes direct sunlight isn’t always possible to achieve in a fitout or there’s too much heat generated which causes its own set of problems.
Roof windows and skylights can be a cost effective way of letting in light to a space. Research shows that employee morale and productivity can be boosted significantly in this way. Skylights can be upscaled by suspending additional features (see image) to create a stunning effect.
But there are other ways of letting in light to lift our mood.
Fairly cutting edge in fact.
How? By creating virtual daylight.
There’s a lighting system called Circadian Lighting which taps into the cycles which our bodies follow each day, based on the position, angle, and colour of natural sunlight at any given time.
It’s new, it’s clever LED technology.
What is it?
When you think of it, sunlight changes throughout the day from a warm amber in the morning, to cool white during the day, then back to a very warm amber in the late afternoon. Lighting researchers have turned to Circadian Rhythms to come up with a way of mimicking this natural progression. By adjusting the brightness, intensity and colour of light, we can regulate our body rhythms.
What are Circadian Rhythms?
These are the mental and behavioural changes we feel as a response to light cues over every 24-hour period. We release hormones, our body temperature changes and our sleep/awake cycle changes in response to light. If Circadian rhythms are disrupted, health problems like depression, obesity and diabetes can follow on.
How does it all work?
The LED systems have control gear which handles the job.
Currently the downside is that they’re fairly costly. But, in a nutshell, these systems can run imitation skylights or downlights.
There are products, for instance, made by Coelux from Italy to Ketra in the US which cover new age lighting.
The Coelux system is based on an LED projector which throws white light in a spectrum to mimic rays of sunlight. At the same time, a specially designed optical system creates the feeling of distance between the sky and the sun. So it ends up looking as though sunlight is streaming through a skylight. Clever idea!
The Ketra system uses lamps and luminaires for general lighting as well as task and decorative purposes and look much the same as the standard lamp style. The lamps can shift in colour and intensity throughout the day. Cleverly, they’re wireless-operated which allow users to control their lighting via a mobile app. Highly flexible and very easy on lifestyle!
These new advancements to light our workplaces by letting in “natural” light are a great boost to business.
It’s a pretty simple equation: daylight = increased human performance!
You can consult our (shop fitout gold coast) team to know how you can introduce more light to your fitout.
