Scientific studies have proven that the quality, tone, and brightness of light affect people’s mood, productivity, and sense of well-being. Learn what Acoustic Architects and Ketra + Lutron know about harnessing and maximizing the benefits of holistic lighting.
The Right Light
“Mood and behavior can be controlled by our built environments, especially our lighting,” Shani Schwartz, Lighting Designer at Acoustic Architects said. Schwartz explained how the wrong lighting can throw off one’s entire day, how the wrong temperature can create harshness or reduce productivity, and even disrupt sleep patterns.
“The body’s Circadian rhythm can be thrown off by the wrong choice of lumen level and light color temperature,” she explained. “Circadian rhythms that are not in sync can lead to both mild and severe health problems.
Emily O’Brien, of ABC affiliate News 5 Cleveland, said, “Good lighting is not only functional, it can affect how a room feels to everyone in it.”
The same way a doctor’s office or operating room can feel cold and sterile, or a treatment room at a spa can feel warm, relaxing, and inviting, lighting in homes can and do exude similar vibes.
Homeowners must consider not only the wattage or strength of a bulb, tube, or fixture but also the function of a home’s rooms and the feelings they hope to experience in each one.
Setting the Mood
Ketra has been positively revolutionary in its quest for functional, aesthetically pleasing, design-forward and healthy lighting. When a home is designed with Ketra fixtures, the location, function, and ambiance of each room are considered in the lighting design process. Additionally, each room is programmed with a unique, complementary scene for various functions and times of the day. The amount of ambient light is considered as well. These lighting scenes, all thoughtfully and stylishly placed throughout a home’s spaces, help to enhance experiences.
On the most basic level, white light is the most important factor for a designer or homeowner to manipulate. Tunable white light, now available universally, is technologically optimized by Ketra in several ways.
Ketra has invested in custom power electronics, precision optics, and a proprietary driver chip to bring unrivaled quality light. Ketra offers tunable, full-spectrum light, natural light that shifts with the time of day, natural dimming, and tunable vibrancy, designed to enhance artwork and treasured objects.
Healthy Homes and Workplaces
Light can truly transform a space, but sometimes not in healthy or productive ways. Just like lighting designers of movies can set the tone for suspenseful or disturbing scenes, some real-life scenes also inadvertently keep us from feeling our best.
An article at The Healthy by Jaime Stathis quoted holistic psychologist, educator, and author Scott Lyons as saying, “Lighting significantly impacts our psychology, mental well-being, and physical health.”
Dr. Lyons explained that he recommends that his patients test out different types of lighting to find the right color and temperature to boost their moods.
Natural light affects both serotonin and vitamin D levels, and access to natural light in employment settings can be poor to nonexistent.
“Even though we can’t get vitamin D through the windows, an Australian study at The University of Adelaide showed that exposure to natural light in the workplace improved both the health and productivity of workers,” Stathis said.
Designers have decided to face this challenge head-on in both domestic and commercial settings, to create the healthiest possible lighting profiles, allowing clients to feel and perform their very best. Custom homes are now being designed to showcase and enhance natural light and supplement any lack throughout the day with versatile and healthy lighting options.
Ketra has the tools to create perfect (and perfectly healthy!) lighting designs for office, education, retail, hospitality, and residential settings.