We Are All Light

Lighting has to create an environment that is visually satisfying as well as emotionally compatible.

- Rita Dutta

Lighting design is an important aspect of providing the necessary comfort and healing in a healthcare space. The lighting has to create an environment that is visually satisfying as well as ‘emotionally compatible’. In addition to clinical areas, non-clinical and public areas also need optimised lighting solutions. 

Says Siddharth Puri, Director- Architecture, WARD FOUR, "The effect of lighting, natural and artificial, on human psychology in terms of being able to affect both mood, productivity and perceptions, is well known. In a scenario when people and those around them are at their most vulnerable in a hospital setting, the role of lighting is greatly enhanced."

Research indicates the deep link between lighting and well-being. One such significant research paper “The impact of light on outcomes in healthcare settings”, Anjali Joseph (the Center for Health Design, 2006) outlines that “light impacts human health and performance by enabling performance of visual tasks, controlling the body’s Circadian system, affecting mood and perception, and by enabling critical chemical reactions in the body.”

Daylight and artificial lighting 

The effects of daylight and artificial lighting has an undeniable impact on the wellbeing of all the inhabitants of a hospital – the most fragile, the patients and those rendering care to them – staff and family members.

Says Manu Malhotra, Director, RSMS Architects, “We design the lighting of building, using the combination of daylight entering through window and skylight and electric light sources. It is extremely critical to balance the light intensity, as too much light can also be discomforting. At the same time, lack of natural light can make patient feel unsafe and claustrophobic.”