Biophilic Light Texture

Abstract

This master thesis takes two concepts - light content and biophilic design - together into a design approach for designing biophilic light texture. Light content entails the design of digital content for LED lighting products, taking human experience of light as the main design objective; light texture is one of the lighting effects within the framework of light content as defined by Signify (Philips lighting). Biophilic design is an architectural design framework that takes the concept of biophilia as its premise. Biophilia is the human inclination to affiliate with natural features, like water, forests, wildlife, etc. Biophilic design aims to re-integrate this inherent affiliation with nature into the built environment.
The human experience of light, the visual qualities of light texture and the basic design principles of biophilic design are put together to arrive at a design approach for biophilic light texture. This approach entails a basic design principle, focusing on integration with both the architecture and its geographical, social and cultural context; and a set of practical guidelines on how to achieve this integration through the design of light textures.


This design approach was applied in a design project for Beersnielsen lighting designers. This project involved the interior lighting design of a newly designed visitor center for a nature reserve park. The central element of this lighting design is a chandelier that projects a light texture (light shadow projections) onto the arched ceiling of the interior. The dynamic and style of the light texture create an integration with the natural environment, while at the same time the graphic style, the scale and the structure of the texture make it an integral part of the architecture as well. It continues the character and atmosphere of the nature reserve park, to the indoor environment of the visitor center. A prototype was created to show a proof of concept for creating the desired lighting effect, and to be able to experience the effect on a full architectural scale.

The guidelines of the design approach as outlined in this thesis are specifically focused on light texture as a lighting effect, as showcased in the design project. However, the basic design principle of the approach can also be applied to lighting design in general. It is encouraged to explore this principle of integrated design for other lighting effects within the light content framework as well, potentially arriving at a comprehensive biophilic design framework for lighting design in general.