Light and wellbeing: How to create a healthier light at Hospitals

    Activity: Talk or presentation Lecture and oral contribution

    Description

    Abstract:

    Research shows that a balance between light and darkness is very essential for our health. A.o. influence; hormone secretion, heart rate, alertness, sleep propensity, body temperature and have positive effect on some illnesses, like Alzheimers and SAD. The missing piece in the puzzle of lighting has also been found; the connection between light and the production of melatonin.
    However we can put all this together with another important fact: When we are sick, the primary sensory inputs seem to mean more to us than when we are healthy and fundamental effects of light, such as color-rendering and shadows can help create orientation in a stress-full and unfamiliar environment like the hospital. The light can help to reassure and calm us - just as light can stress us.
    How to provide good light at hospitals? A casestudy
    But how do we establish this balance between light and darkness in the architecture? The paper describes a complete new method developed to provide better and more natural daylight in our build environment. A method that balances both light (daylight and artificial lighting) and darkness according to evidence-based knowledge about our health.
    This newly developed method has recently been chosen to be used in the realization of one of the major new hospital-buildings in Denmark. The article describes the method and how it here is being used to achieve a better and more healthy environment at a new hospital in Copenhagen.
    Period21 Nov 2012
    Event titleNordic Lighting : The spirit of nordic lighting
    Event typeConference
    LocationOslo, DenmarkShow on map