Dynamic lighting for well-being in work places: Addressing the visual, emotional and biological aspects of lighting design

Light can be used to increase alertness, evoke relaxation and suppress sleepiness. Therefore, it can be deployed to support the well-being and performance of people in working places. These socalled ‘non-visual’ or ‘biological’ effects have become an increasingly important topic in lighting design over the last few years. Research on the physical effects of light on our body, as opposed to effects on visual perception and emotion, is still on-going. This paper will discuss the implementation of current research results into practical applications. Furthermore, this article will discuss opportunities and benefits for lighting designers to apply this research by suggesting methods of application in lighting solutions for various work places. Those are driven by biological aspects of lighting, but take into account visual and emotional attributes, to aim at overall well-being in work places.