Lighting Solutions For Health and Wellness: Getting Them Built

It is well established, scientifically and empirically, that light triggers critical physiological and psychological responses within human beings. Since most of us spend the majority of our lives in the built environment, the level and quality of light within these buildings has real implications for our health and wellness. As we become more aware of light’s implications on our physiological and psychological selves, and as technology affords a greater range of options, the questions we ask at the Healthy Lighting Studio at AWA are “How do we translate this information into buildable lighting specifications?” and “How do we incorporate knowledge available empirically and in the laboratory into our built environment, and get it built right?” At AWA, we have been developing the specifications for such lighting solutions, so that they actually get implemented in projects.

The Healthy Lighting Studio is located at AWA’s New York location, and is led by AWA’s Design Principal Abhay Wadhwa. At AWA, we have developed a positional paper on “Utilizing Latent Properties of Light for Health and Wellness,” where we have listed the variables connected to the problem, and possible solutions that AWA has developed. Some of the aspects we are exploring are Biophilic Design Solutions, Maintenance & Cleanliness, Driver Compatibility, and the popular topic of Circadian Stimulus. Furthermore, we have developed a road-map for healthy lighting by utilizing four exceptional resources- the NYC DDC Guidelines, the WELL Building Standards, Fit-City Guidelines and AWA’s research over the past six years specifically. If you would like a copy of our positional paper, please contact Abhay directly at abhay@awalightingdesigners.com. If you would like more information on our research or services offered, please contact us at newyork@awalightingdesigners.com.