ERGONOMICS AND PSYCHOLOGY OF LIGHTING

How does lighting affect human health and productivity in Russian conditions? What research is being conducted in this area?

Lighting affects the human health and productivity primarily through the regulation of hormonal secretion and related circadian rhythms. In addition to sleep and wakefulness patterns, this influence is also reflected in the psychological state: mood, productivity, ability to concentrate. For example, there is a disease called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – a mood disorder. The causes of this disease are not fully understood, but often associated with a lack of sunlight in the autumn-winter period and the resulting increase of the production of the hormone melatonin. Residents of northern countries are susceptible to this disorder. And the role of light in its shaping is confirmed by the effectiveness of light therapy, as well as the fact that the symptoms disappear with the change of seasons.

A significant part of Russia’s territory is located in the northern latitudes (including near and beyond the Arctic Circle), many people experience the influence of a specific light climate, characterized by a large difference in the length of daylight hours in the autumn-winter and spring-summer periods and its extreme manifestations – polar night and polar day. Inhabitants of these regions may experience circadian rhythm disturbances and corresponding physical and psychological health problems. In this context, studies are being conducted on the impact of natural light, including polar night and polar day, on the human body and its circadian rhythms, as well as the possibilities of artificial light to adjust or compensate this effect.

How can lighting solutions be adapted for different climatic conditions and cultural peculiarities of Russia?

Thanks to the modern capabilities of the control systems, lighting can be a very flexible tool that works as effectively as possible in specific conditions. For example, adaptation to climatic conditions can be achieved by automatically adjusting the lighting parameters (both outdoor and indoor) depending on the level of natural light. On the one hand, this reduces energy consumption and on the other – increases the level of people comfort. During polar night, changes can occur according to a given scenario, which allows reducing the monotony of the environment caused by the absence of natural light dynamics, respectively, maintaining circadian rhythms and temporal orientation of residents.

Cultural adaptation, in my opinion, depends more on the depth of pre-design research and immersion in the cultural context of the region in which the project is located, or of a particular user group, rather than on the application of technology. Depending on national, religious and other socio-cultural factors, as well as the influence of the natural light climate, people may have different ideas about the symbolism of color and light, comfort, coziness, safety. Unfortunately, the issue of the need to cover different social groups not only from a functional but also from a figurative and semantic point of view remains poorly understood, at least in the Russian-speaking area. Due to this, we would like to see the practices of pre-project sociological research and participatory design penetrate into lighting design, as well as a wider range of scientific publications on this topic in the context of Russian cities and regions.

LIGHTING SOLUTIONS FOR PUBLIC SPACES:

How can modern technologies improve lighting in public spaces in Russia, such as parks, streets and transport hubs?

Before answering this question, it is worth revealing what can mean “improvement” of lighting:
1) Increase of user comfort;
2) Improvement of artistic expression, aesthetic qualities of light solution;
3) Environmental improvement (energy efficiency, minimization of light pollution and biotic impact)

One of the solutions that allows working with all the specified directions is the use of modern high-quality and precise optics. It allows to avoid glare (comfort), to direct light exactly where it is needed (comfort, ecology, aesthetics) and to create a light spot with the properties needed to achieve the intended artistic effect (aesthetics).

Another technology that can improve the quality of lighting is “smart” control systems. Depending on the parameters and settings of the systems, they can comprehensively solve various problems. For example, regulating lighting at night in a park using motion sensors allows, on the one hand, to ensure the safety and comfort of users, and on the other, to reduce energy costs and reduce the impact of artificial light on the biotic.

Modern technologies allow to integrate lighting with video surveillance and analytics systems. In transport hubs and on the streets, cameras can be installed on lighting poles, which allows for better situation control and rapid response to incidents. Systems can analyze the flow of people and vehicles, automatically adjusting lighting to improve safety.
In addition, control systems can set lighting change scenarios for various events, holidays, seasons, or create a different lighting dynamic that is able to become a part of the image of the place and emphasize its features.

What examples of successful public space lighting design projects can be identified in Russian cities?

In my opinion, speaking about successful lighting design projects, it is difficult to separate lighting design solutions from landscaping. Because we perceive the environment as a whole, and no matter how good the lighting is, without landscaping it will not make a public space attractive and full of life. And vice versa, lighting design errors can spoil the impression of the space when it’s dark or even make it uninhabitable. The public spaces of the embankment of Lake Kaban in Kazan, the Fair Square in Nizhni Novgorod, the Crimean embankment in Moscow, the visit-center of the park Kudykin Gura in Lipetsk region are interesting places in my opinion.