Lighting design for people and places

People benefit from adjustments in the intensity and colour temperature of lighting throughout the day in offices and classrooms, for example. 

 

Light affects our mood and bright, blue-enriched white light during the day reduces tiredness, increases focus and improves productivity. Dimming lights with a warm hue at night can help relaxation and preparations for sleep. 

 

With daylight quality illumination in workplaces, schools and healthcare settings, concentration increases, errors reduce, and performance improves. 

 

HCL is particularly useful for environments where people must stay alert or work long hours. Students’ focus and memory improve when lighting fits with natural rhythms throughout the day. In offices proper lighting helps people focus and make better decisions. 

 

Traditional artificial lighting can contribute to eye strain and headaches, especially in high-stress environments. In contrast, dynamic lighting reduces glare and exposure to harsh lighting. HCL could even minimise the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) with more natural lighting in winter months. 

 

HCL systems integrated with smart controls can adjust lighting automatically based on time of day or activity. This can reduce unnecessary lighting and adjust brightness and colour temperature based on need. Energy-efficient lighting solutions like LEDs used in HCL systems use less power, so carbon emissions also reduce. 

 

Integration with smart building systems allows users to customise lighting levels through voice assistants, smartphones or pre-set schedules. They could even adapt according to the time of day, user preferences, or health data. 

 

Of course, artificial intelligence and machine learning will also play a part in making HCL more personalised. In future, systems may respond to user behaviour by adapting light colour and intensity. Time, productivity, occupancy and health measurements could all contribute to lighting adaptations. 

 

HCL could also link with wearable devices like smart watches to adjust lighting. It could even use sensors to monitor individual responses to lighting, such as changes in heart rate, skin temperature or facial expressions. 

 

HCL could improve patient recovery rates in hospitals, for example, by optimising lighting for rest and relaxation. For people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease HCL could help improve sleep patterns. Employee wellbeing could also improve with dynamic lighting which adapts throughout the day to reduce stress and improve productivity.