Cold light is like a cup of coffee, and warm light is a relaxant
Nikolay Kabluka
Nikolay Kabluka, founder and chief lighting designer of the Expolight company
XXI century office. it is strikingly different from the cold light of mercury lamps, boring functional halls, where dozens of employees, bent over the same desks or standing behind lecterns, are engaged in routine work. Paper is used less and less as an information carrier, and "black mirrors" - the screens of computers, tablets and smartphones - are becoming more and more perfect in technology, design and, most importantly, safer for the eyes. Today, employers strive to ensure that the workplace is not just comfortable and safe, but comfortable, involving employees in the process and stimulating their creative abilities. Comfort is the next step in the evolution of offices.
Mykola Kabluka is confident: "Now is the time for non-standard approaches. Finally, we came to the understanding that for productive work in the office, it is necessary to create a comfortable creative environment. Both employers and employees are demanding the quality of work spaces. The word "office" is disappearing from our lexicon, it is often replaced by the terms open space, coworking. Because in the usual sense, an office is a boring, sterile hall or room for mechanical, monotonous work. But the modern "white collar worker" is not a biorobot or a living machine. First of all, this is a creative unit, a creative person, for whom it is necessary to create special conditions, a special atmosphere. The emotional state of employees affects the result of the overall work. And this factor began to be taken into account today. And since the world, as I believe, is able to control the emotions, mood and even behavior of a person, his role here is decisive."
MacPaw Office. Photo courtesy of MacPaw
Beyond the borders of the "proper world"
To ensure comfort, designers use a complex approach, where not only the ergonomics of the furniture and the space as a whole are important — the color of the walls, the tactile qualities of the surfaces and, most importantly, carefully selected lighting are important.
Standards of lighting, enshrined in the state building regulations "Engineering equipment is built and constructed." Natural and artificial lighting" (DBN V.2.5-28:2018), regulate the parameters for each type of working premises: the number of light sources, their location and quality, the pulsation of the light flux, the color rendering index and illumination. Illuminance, which in the international measurement system is expressed in lux (Lk), is a light value that reflects the amount of light falling on a certain area of the square. The theory of lighting design, like everything related to design, is complex, and practice requires a highly qualified approach. But, as Nikolai Kabluka explains, today it is no longer enough to literally follow the rules. It is necessary to expand the frames and move to subtle settings, soft filters.
Scheme of changing the spectrum of natural lighting depending on the position of the sun
"We are coming to a deeper understanding of the impact of such a factor as artificial lighting on the psychological and physiological state of a person. And it's not just about suites, that is, about sufficient, standardized lighting of the working space. Today we are talking about the fact that light is able to influence a person's condition, taking into account the phase of the day and the type of activity. Literally: the light controls human emotions, - says Nikolay Kabluka. — Have you noticed that bright, directed light causes discomfort? Yes, such light is necessary and appropriate in laboratories and operating rooms, but it interferes with creative activity. But scattered light relaxes, but at the same time stimulates our imagination.
Modern offices are for the most part multifunctional and dynamic spaces in which people switch from one task to another every now and then. A short meeting is followed by brainstorming, a video conference is followed by concentrated analytical work that requires silence and appropriate lighting. It is no coincidence that many employees prefer to stay in the office after the end of the working day — their creative abilities are revealed outside of the daytime hustle and bustle, in a relaxed and comfortable environment.
YOD studio office. Photo: Andrey Bezuglov
Understanding the basic principles of the influence of lighting on human physiology and nervous activity gives us the opportunity to find theoretical answers to the most difficult questions. And biodynamic lighting is a new tool with which we can give practical answers."
Biodynamic illumination
"For now, we call biodynamic lighting an innovative technology, but I am confident that very soon it will be implemented everywhere," explains Nikolay Kabluka. — There are studies, according to which 80% of information a person perceives visually. Our eyes are an amazingly complex apparatus that works as a regulator of physiological processes. Changes in color temperature, contrast, and brightness of the light, depending on the time of day, start or stop processes in the body. Humans are evolutionarily disposed to activity during the day, so shades of the green and blue spectrum excite and set us up for the hunt, while warm, sunset colors signal the end of the day.
In different seasons, our dependence on artificial lighting changes and increases significantly in autumn and winter. Just as flowers in a greenhouse or conservatory require "lighting", so people need light stimulation.
In the morning, bright light awakens and "accelerates" the activity of our brain and body as a whole, twilight and evening lighting, on the contrary, slows it down, and twilight helps to fall into a deep sleep.
The influence of lighting on human activity during the day
The influence of lighting on human activity during the day
In winter, we need a stimulant in the morning - a cold, bright light that acts like a cup of strong coffee. During the day, we are more comfortable with uniform illumination, and by evening we need to calm down. And since our working day usually lasts 8-9 hours, during this time the employee experiences at least three conditions. But if the external illumination does not correspond to established circadian rhythms, our internal time, then the person inevitably feels discomfort, irritation, and fatigue.
In modern offices, this problem is solved in several ways. Initially, at the design stage, architects take into account the orientation of the building to the cardinal points and insolation during the functional distribution of spaces. Interior designers develop design solutions taking into account the schedule and routes along which employees move. And we at Expolight install biodynamic lighting that reacts to changes in illumination."
Biodynamic, or circadian lighting, relatively recently appeared in the toolset of designers. The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), which has developed a system of WELL standards aimed at creating buildings that increase comfort, health and well-being, recommends the introduction of circadian lighting in work areas, recreation rooms, residential premises, educational premises and facilities healthcare. The system automatically changes the brightness and color temperature of the lamps in the premises, based on the external conditions, or functions according to the scenario selected by the user.
Light is able to control emotions, mood and even behavior of a person
"Since the modern office worker is a multitasker, we need not only to maintain his efficiency, but also to create different scenarios for the same space, which becomes possible thanks to the use of biodynamic lighting," says Nikolay Kabluka. — Bioregulation with the help of combined and dynamic artificial light allows a person to maintain vigor during the working day and calms down in the evening, preparing for a full rest. In winter, biodynamic light is able to smooth out the sharp reduction of the daylight hours, artificially prolonging it and leveling discomfort.
Have you noticed that many people's productivity drops during the short winter days? The pineal gland, which produces melatonin (a hormone responsible for regulating sleep and wakefulness), and the hypothalamus, which controls the work of the endocrine system, focus on the amount and spectrum of light. Therefore, in the summer we can stay at work and not get tired, and in the evenings we actively communicate with friends. But in winter we hardly wake up and are ready to fall asleep again already at four o'clock in the afternoon, as soon as darkness comes.
SD Capital office. Photo: Roman Kupriyun
Biodynamic light allows us to technologically extend the daylight hours or increase the brightness of the light in cloudy weather, which is typical for our latitude, especially in winter and autumn. Yes, this is artificial light, but it has almost the same effect on the human body as sunlight."
The founder of Expolight is confident that in a balanced world environment, employees will be less tired and less sick, because a long-term violation of circadian rhythms can lead not only to depressed mood, loss of inspiration, but also to serious diseases. This is evidenced by the results of studies, confirmed by clinical trials, with clear scientific justifications. There is even a branch of the science of chronobiology, which studies the influence of circadian rhythms on the body.
From theory to practice
"An example of the first office in Ukraine with a full implementation of biodynamic lighting technology is the Architectural Workshop of A. Pashenko," says Expolight chief lighting designer Mykola Kabluka. — This is a successful collaboration of our company with the employees of the workshop, who themselves developed the basis of the lighting concept, types of lamps, their appearance and location, as well as with the company "Bureau of System Integration" LLC (Kiev), which implemented several unique systems: lighting control, in particular scenarios — dynamic change of intensity and maintenance of uniform illumination, change of color temperature during the day; as well as the first in Ukraine control system for automatic window blinds Lutron Quantum.
"Architectural workshop A. Pashenko". Photo: Andrey Shurpenkov
"Architectural workshop A. Pashenko". Photo: Andrey Shurpenkov
"Architectural workshop A. Pashenko". Photo: Andrey Shurpenkov
"Architectural workshop A. Pashenko". Photo: Andrey Shurpenkov
A special combination of direct and reflected light streams was developed for the architectural office to create comfortable conditions for designers working with computer technology. We deliberately did not limit ourselves to the illuminance standard of 300 lux, which is irrelevant in this case, but created a set of scenarios that allow you to control numerous light sources both with the help of digital gadgets and with the help of the usual buttons built into the control panel. The most important thing is the opportunity to change the spectrum of light: to tone and increase efficiency or calm down, offering to end the working day in a comfortable, practically home environment."
Mykola Kabluka calls modern office lighting a "catalyst of space", which at the same time can tell a lot about the company itself - not only about the preferences of managers, their taste, style and attitude towards employees, but also about the general vector of development.
"Speaking of trends, I can note that I am observing a rejection of uniform bright lighting, which until recently was considered an attribute of a high-quality office. Rad reports that top managers are increasingly rejecting this stereotype. The new trend is that the world should be different. And now, in offices, we are increasingly creating a sensitive and unique atmosphere, taking into account the trend of demand for creativity, which is incompatible with bright and even lighting.
Illumination with a variable glow temperature, for example, in the working area
Such innovations as biodynamics and smart automation are in demand. Light designs and schemes are becoming more and more complex. Traditionally, lighting engineers focused on overhead light and horizontal lighting. Now we increasingly move light points to vertical planes and only fragmentarily leave sources on the horizontal working plane. We form volumes, focus on the relief and work with shadows," says Kabluka.
Emotional world
To control the light - as a conductor controls an orchestra - this means programming various scenarios in office spaces. At Expolight, we are confident that the possibilities of innovative lighting technology are not limited to the tasks of improving the working capacity of personnel and caring for people's health. Light can act as a moderator and stimulator of emotions.
"We often work with creative companies. Today, they include not only architectural or design bureaus, - explains Nikolay Kabluka. — Creative value-added today is one of the highest values in any industry — from IT technologies to construction. Today, almost any occupation is creativity. Creative sprouts break through the tough bureaucratic skin of the most ossified state systems. For example, the founder of "Monobank" Dmytro Dubylet is currently working in the Cabinet of Ministers, among other things, to initiate the reconstruction of traditional ministerial offices into transparent open spaces. Even for ministerial clerks, it becomes obvious that the correct organization of space has a serious impact on people's behavior and well-being.
I am sure that we will introduce new formats at all levels and in all industries. And the Expolight company has many tools to manage the state of a person at work. Simply put, when you need to stimulate creativity, we add light; where it is necessary to create conditions for extreme concentration and concentration — we install concentrated lighting. With lighting solutions, we unify space or divide it into zones. Thanks to our intervention, even the most boring office comes to life so much that employees not only come to work with joy, but even do not want to leave.
DTEK Academy. Photo: Andrey Avdeenko
Light design is today's identification and office status. Lighting solutions open up the space, including for office guests, stimulating the mood and evoking bright emotions.
Recently, we worked on the design of the space for the educational platform "DTEK Academy". Our task was to program different lighting scenarios for a multifunctional office, a different atmosphere — for training, presentations, and art events. I believe that we successfully coped with our task, he emphasized, starting from the hall, that this entire space is literally permeated with creativity. Subtle light effects (projection, shadow, laser) tell a whole story and evoke strong emotions in visitors who came here not just for knowledge, for new information, but also for inspiration.
Today, it is no longer enough to literally follow the rules. It is necessary to expand the frames and move to fine settings, soft filters
We are currently designing an office for a company that develops computer games. We need to form an absolutely creative space, because the task of employees is to give free rein to their imagination, to create "new worlds", virtual reality. The specificity of their work is that they spend most of their time behind monitors. We experimented a lot with the setting of innovative diffused light fixtures and optical accessories that allow us to eliminate glare on screens. The results of the first tests did not satisfy us. We went through dozens of options and in the end came to the only correct solution - switching to reflected light. Such technology is rarely used in offices.
In the process of implementing this project, we came up with many innovative lighting solutions. Among the visitors of the office are Hollywood stars, world-famous science fiction writers. The employers wanted to create a special, unique and memorable atmosphere for guests and employees, and with the help of projection illusions, we created fantastic portals that appear when transitioning between different office areas, and also brought several fantasy stories to life. So far, this is quite unusual for our offices."
DTEK Academy. Photo: Andrey Avdeenko
Creative collaboration
"Cooperation with the space architect is the key to successful implementation," says Nikolai. — After all, what we do is called architectural and lighting design. We are not lighting technicians who select equipment according to specifications. We compile the opinions and wishes of all stakeholders. In our vision, we certainly take into account the customer and his philosophy, which transmits to us an emotional portrait of the future office; the architect who structures all this; employees with their specific requirements. We moderate the inevitable discussion, eliminate contradictions, find compromises and express all this in a completely individual, unique set of light scenarios.
In this context, it is appropriate to talk about the synergy of art and high technologies. In our field, innovations, or rather, the ability to adapt and rethink them, play an important role. Innovations today are the focus of collaborations — everything revolves around them, new creative vortices arise around them. Yes, a modern office is no longer simply "a chair - a table - a lamp". Not just a tool box for employees. This is almost a Kantian thing in itself. This is self-identification, positioning and at the same time a kind of filter for people, members of the creative team. Archival technologies are important, but the ability to creatively apply them plays a huge role.
MacPaw Office. Photo courtesy of MacPaw
And our role here is similar to that of an artist or director. In pursuit of maximum aesthetics, we use scenographic techniques similar to those used by the director. Both in the theater and in the office, light controls the emotional state of a person."
Collaborations between scientists, lighting designers and architects open up a new dimension, a new window of opportunities, including economic ones, which would be unforgivable to ignore. In the USA, LEED green standards are successfully combined with WELL well-being standards. Circadian illumination becomes one of the constituent elements of stability. And it is possible that compliance with circadian lighting standards will soon become an integral requirement for the quality of new buildings in Ukraine.
