On September 17th and 18th, 2024, the 3rd Annual Light Conference took place, focusing for the first time on light in interiors. Were you there? No? No worries, we were, and we are happy to summarize the key insights for you.
The program was divided into several panel sessions, specifically focusing on topics such as public, social, and workspaces, interiors, exteriors, lighting integration in projects, and types of lighting fixtures. We, unsurprisingly, focused on light in interiors.
The selection of speakers included scientists and academics, architects and designers, as well as representatives from institutions, suppliers, and lighting manufacturers. Well-known names included architects Eva Le Petreuc, Roman KouckÜ, and Josef Pleskot, artist Lucie Koldová, and lighting technology expert Petr Ŝák.
The event had an exceptionally pleasant and positive atmosphere, as all participants were united in the journey toward good lighting. Collaboration from the very start of the project, and prioritizing lighting as a key element in interior design, was one of the main themes of the conference. It seems that this is not always the case, and often lighting is addressed too late, with price and aesthetics as the primary criteria, while the focus should be on user comfort, vitality, and health.
Moment of expectation⊠and a moment of disappointment
In the opening panel, it was emphasized that light affects physiology, sleep, and hormone levels such as serotonin and cortisol, and the relationship between light and the physiology of organisms, particularly in connection with light pollution at night.
As Hynek MedÅickÃœ summarized: “In connection with outdoor light pollution, there has been a clear focus on insects and other organisms in nature, and finally â slowly and uncertainly â we are starting to think about the light-deprived human living under a roof.”
Experts repeatedly mentioned the necessity of considering biological and physiological aspects when applying lighting in both exteriors and interiors, but this belief was not well reflected in the following presentations. The non-visual effects of light were mentioned only indirectly, sporadically, or inaccurately.
Architects: “Light is important. Its primary role, however, is aesthetic.”
Keynote speaker, world-renowned architect Eva Le Peutrec, summarized that she places great emphasis on bringing natural daylight back into building interiors, for example, through large windows in skyscrapers, which she designs around the world.
What was (not) mentioned:
- Architects: light is important, mainly from an aesthetic perspective. Architects acknowledge the crucial role of light in interiors and for the functions of organisms. It was mentioned that the standard amount of 500 lux in an office is insufficient. However, light is primarily evaluated from an aesthetic point of view; considerations for the users’ work and health were only hinted at and not emphasized.
- Really? Offices are becoming our homes, and we need places where we can feel like we’re at a cottage. (Note from Spectrasol: Making an office feel like a living room during the day doesn’t benefit the organism or performanceâforget warm lighting!)
- Lack of light harms health, confirm hygiene experts. A lack of natural daylight, especially in young children, affects eye problems, as eyesight develops at an early age, and light quality is even more crucial for children, both at school and at home. Poor lighting contributes to sleep disorders and many civilization-related diseases.
- A good workspace with good lighting is where people can see well and feel comfortable. However, lighting, like room temperature, is perceived differently by everyone. Therefore, lighting should be individualized so that its intensity can be adjusted based on personal preference or time of day.
Buildings should have more individuality and less universality. - Full-spectrum/biodynamic light? What is that? There was no mention of the spectral properties of light or artificial light capable of mimicking daylight at the conference.
Summary: Itâs slow, but itâs happening!
The conference clearly highlighted the importance of natural light in interiors for daily activities. The entire marketâlighting professionals, hygienists, lighting manufacturers, academics, architects, and designersâagrees on this. The trend is to ensure maximum access to natural light in interiors. However, this is not enough. Whether we like it or not, humans will increasingly rely on electric lighting. While academics, doctors, and hygienists are aware of the biological connections and even talk about the spectral composition as a key property of light for its non-visual effects, the mainstream lighting industry is very slow to catch on. Design, energy efficiency, and cost are still the primary factors when choosing lighting. Spectrometers are still rarely found among lighting industry representatives.
But there is hope for better times; information about the need for and potential of bio-quality lighting is being mentioned more frequently, and all the big global players already have some full-spectrum products. Projects are emerging that contribute to better awareness of the topic and bring user experiences.
As Dan JesenskÃœ, CEO of Spectrasol, says: “Itâs slow, but surely, and weâre glad that we are among those who advocate for better light closer to nature. A faster implementation would be helped if the academic community, which has been researching the issue for a long time, more actively shared its serious findings and recommendations with both the professional and general public.”
In this context, we would like to point out the new document from the International Commission on Illumination (Commission internationale de l’éclairage, CIE) dated August 30, 2024, which again emphasizes the need to consider the non-visual effects of light and specifies how to do so. (Donât worry, weâll summarize that for you too.)
More about the 3rd Annual Conference can be found here.
Translated using AI
