Light that puts a person in the center
A third of the planet's inhabitants cannot see the Milky Way in the night sky of their settlements. For those who want to "reset" the receptors, there is even an interactive map of dark places in the sky.
Some cities and countries (at least for now) have lost the battle for healthy lighting: Singapore tops the list of locations with the most light pollution, Arab and Asian countries are in the top ten.
This does not mean that, for example, in Europe, light is used much less - on night satellite images, this part of the land shines brightly. However, it is not a matter of the number of lighting sources, but of how exactly they work, in the quality of solutions, certification, standards.
Ukrainian cities have already faced light chaos and light pollution. Unfortunately, at a high level, there are no systematic and balanced decisions on this yet. But qualified lighting technicians and lighting designers see and understand the problem.
Human Centric Lighting — human-centric lighting that not only allows you to see in the dark, but also takes care of comfort, health and emotions
Compared to the past, a lot can be done today: thanks to the development of technologies and research methods, we operate with the concepts of visual and non-visual impact of light, and can measure a greater number of its characteristics. Coefficients of pulsation and glare, color temperature, spectrum, quality indicators are not just noted, but controlled and set by manufacturers. So, they can be used to create harmonious spaces in which the physical and mental state, feelings of people and all living beings important.
The definition of Human Centric Lighting covers many areas of activity and research: circadian lighting, simulation of the spectrum of sunlight, systems that equalize the amount of lighting, etc. This is also about the ecology of light, its influence on all living things. In the photo: the speech of Luminal CEO Ihor Smetana in the LEOLAND event hall
An approach was born at the junction of scientific discoveries and cultural transformation of society Human Centric Lighting — human-centric lighting. One that not only allows you to see in the dark, but also takes care of your health and emotions. It is complemented by an ecocentric approach — care for all living things that are in the locus of the work of lighting devices.
Luminal — Ukrainian lighting design studio with eleven years of experience in expertise, whose competences include the development of concepts and individual lighting solutions, step-by-step implementation of projects of various types - industrial, architectural, exterior and interior lighting; manufacturing and customization of lighting devices. The company has also gone through certain evolutionary stages and reinterpretation of vectors of activity. Having started functioning in tandem with the Polish manufacturer of lighting equipment ES-System, it later scaled its activities to the Center of Technical Light (CTS), and from 2022 it is developing in the direction of the implementation of Human Centric Lighting scenarios in Ukrainian architecture, in the implementation of complex projects.
Experienced lighting designers and lighting technicians, designers, and engineers work in the studio team. Luminal also organizes seminars and workshops for designers and architects, during which company experts explain complex aspects of lighting technology, share their own experience and discoveries in working with light.
Luminal currently has more than 100 projects in development, including complex lighting solutions for the Ukrainian Catholic University (Sheptytsky Center, St. Sophia Church, Collegium of the University), Jam Factory cultural and artistic center in Pidzamchy, St. Paraskeva Medical Center, restaurant The "meat" of the Emily Resort recreation complex, the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex, the LvivTech.City business campus, the lighting of the square in front of the Lviv Opera House, and others.
Ihor Smetana, Human Centric Lighting expert, founder and CEO of Luminal
At the level of biochemistry, body reactions, modern people remain similar to their ancestors. Our "biological clock" - circadian rhythms, metabolism, hormonal background - is very delicate. Founder and CEO of Luminal Ihor Smetana says that several centuries of life under the light of artificial lamps cannot be compared with those mechanisms of adaptation of the human body to the environment, which were formed over millions of years.
"We know that the rods and cones of the retina are responsible for distinguishing objects, their color, brightness, etc. Sight is an important tool for obtaining information about the surrounding world, it evolved for safety. But there is also a so-called third receptor — light-sensitive cells that synchronize with the pineal gland and parts of the brain. Studies of these connections are still ongoing, but we can already say that these cells are involved in the cycle of hormone production, respectively, periods of sleep and activity, and mood swings. Of course, you can deceive yourself and say: "I will be active at any time", but the question is how long it will last. Night shift workers know this well. The body will still exhaust itself, sooner or later nature will win. Therefore, you can get the maximum amount of energy only if you synchronize with it.
When working with light, we have to answer the question: how exactly do modern light technologies affect the processes established by nature? What do we offer the human body instead of sunlight? What do we take as a standard of comfort?"
Sketch of lighting of buildings in a hotel and restaurant complex. The use of light with different color parameters allows you to emphasize the features of architecture and functional areas, to maximally integrate them into the context, the natural environment. Image from Luminal company archive
Ihor Smetana: "Light is an evening building material that can be considered on the same level as a facade or any other material"
PRAGMATICS.MEDIA: How many manufacturers or lighting companies support the Human Centric Lighting approach?
Ihor Smetana: The world's leading manufacturers and companies engaged in lighting engineering, development of light components or systems pay attention to this. The definition of Human Centric Lighting can cover many areas of activity or research. For example, circadian lighting — circadian lighting (corresponds to a person's circadian rhythm, 24-hour internal clock. — Editor's note), imitation of the spectrum of sunlight, or constant lighting systems, which equalize the amount of lighting so that contrasts are not felt.
The industrial production of LEDs was introduced about 15 years ago, but for some time no one has deeply investigated their characteristics other than illumination, such as the amount of blue light, the use of light filters, and how to balance the spectrum. This is a separate big topic in which you can work a lot. Human Centric Lighting is also about the ecology of light, about the impact not only on humans, but also on flora and fauna. Everything is behind it.
Day and evening architects
Sketch of the lighting of the altar part of the Church of Saint Sophia (UKU) and the implementation of the project. Images and photos from the Luminal company archive
PM: In your lectures and speeches, you sometimes define the lighting designer of the urban space as an "evening architect". How did this metaphor appear?
I. S.: It's like we always knew it. A great impetus, development in light design for us took place during the time of cooperation with the company ES-System. The group of lighting designers there is headed by Mr. Mirosław Sulma, a high-level architect and professor. For 20 years, he held the position of chief conservator in Krakow, an expert responsible for the protection of historical heritage. Mr. Myroslav also teaches lighting design at the Jagiellonian University.
During the lecture of the Polish lighting designer Miroslav Sulma, head of the ES-System group of lighting designers, an expert in the lighting of historical heritage sites in Poland. Photo from the Luminal company archive
We spent a lot of time together, Mr. Sulma is a man of deep meaning with a lot of experience, he is among the most famous lighting designers working with the lighting of historical heritage sites in Poland. For example, he developed and later implemented a competition project for lighting the central part of Wrocław, which had a number of peculiarities and serious challenges. In the center of Wrocław there is a lot of interesting old architecture, islands, bridges, crossings, all of this is "mounted" in the old part of the city. Perhaps this phrase belongs to him, and we took it from him.
However, it is so. In the Polish language there is a capacious word szławowanie, which can be translated as "formation", "formation".
Light is an evening building material that can be considered on the same level as a facade or any other material.
PM: What, in your opinion, are the advantages and features of cooperation between "daytime" and "evening" designers and architects?
I. S.: It is important for architectural designers and architects to understand that today the level of development, availability and variability of lighting technologies is such that it will be quite difficult for them to predict the result 100% if they do not turn to lighting specialists. Especially if the project involves certain specifics, non-standard approaches or complex forms.
The second point is that lighting designers and lighting technicians can bring new value to the project, add new ideas, based on their experience and understanding of how light is distributed in space, what are the laws of reflection, etc.
I would like to point out that although one specialist can be both a lighting designer and a lighting technician at the same time, we distinguish between these competencies, there are differences in them.
The third reason is that modern high-quality light must be projected. If there are controls or additional fastening elements, if it is, for example, related to certain mounting systems, if there is a special functional load, then without a project there will be no successful implementation.
Accordingly, in such cases, budgets should be set aside for light projection. Designers, architects need to discuss them with the customer so that he can make a decision, understand the feasibility of costs.
No money or time can be invested in intellectual work, the work of a lighting designer, in this case there will be no work. But will there be a result?
There are various cases, clients do not always understand that a specific facade, territory or interior space cannot be dispensed with without a project.
Therefore, we always communicate and explain the complexity of the facade or construction of the object. Does the situation deserve that designers try and experiment on their own, or is it still better to turn to the experience of lighting specialists.
"Hidden light" scenarios for the event hall of the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex. Lighting is implemented according to the "DarkPoint" principle, its sources remain invisible, and the space is sufficiently illuminated. Photo courtesy of Luminal
We are ready to work out a solution that can suit everyone: customer, designer, architect, lighting designer, lighting technician, budget it to give an understanding of how much it costs. But sometimes we face the fact that it is not even about money, but about time.
The time is up, the project is made by performers "from wheels" and not what it could be.
"The foreman, manager, construction manager or someone else will always be involved in the communication about the lighting of the project "transmission link" for investors, and it can break. This is a very subjective thing. Investors and lighting experts should communicate directly." Ihor Smetana
Light is evening architecture and design, and they are just as sensitive to business as daytime architecture and design. We talk a lot about light with our customers and help them articulate what needs to be done.
Sketch and implementation of the lighting project of Jam Factory cultural and artistic center Jam Factory. Images and photos from the Luminal company archive
For more than a decade of working with light, Luminal experts have identified four principles, or criteria, of quality lighting design. This is invisible light (hide the light sources as much as possible. — Editor's Note), lighting for health and comfort, ecology of lighting and MAGI-context (city-planning, architectural, public, historical).
Attention is focused on technologies, concise perfection, respect for users, spaces and environment.
The story of human, sensory light seems elegant and simple, but achieving this simplicity and moving from technical light to perfect "enlightenment" was only possible through years of experience.
Four principles of light design by Luminal: invisible light, lighting for health and comfort, lighting ecology and MAGI-context (urban planning, architectural, public, historical)
Ihor Smetana says: "In 2022, we planned to enter the international market, but due to the war and the closing of the borders, these plans have not yet been fully implemented. This is the only reason, because we have already done projects abroad, some of which we are participating in now. However, in my opinion, if you want to do a really big good project, you have to go there, and at the moment it's impossible.
Many in business like to talk about mission and values. In our case, the criteria, the meanings we are talking about, are all we lived by. The company has been on the market for 11 years, we walk around the city, those locations and environments that were lit or not lit. There are successful projects that were not worked on by us, but by other specialists. We notice both good approaches and unsuccessful ones. The principles that we lay down in the projects will live on, we use lamps with a long service life. Our children will grow up in these environments.
Luminal workshops are organized with the same goal - to improve communication, explain concepts, deepen the knowledge of architects, designers about lighting technology through practical skills when they work with light, see how it behaves on textures. They learn what light sources are, intensity, light reflection, spectrum, color and how they are combined. Visitors to Luminal events get a good experience working with materials and interiors. Difficult theory is easier to learn in practice, this will avoid mistakes in the future. We have super positive feedback about these meetings."
At Luminal lectures and workshops, architects and designers learn more about lighting technology in practice: quality indicators of light, how it behaves on textures. They get experience working with materials and interiors. Photo from the Luminal company archive
"Lighting concepts are closely related to design. These are inseparable things," Ihor Smetana
Mistakes and ideas that inspire
PM: How often do you see defects in lighting around you, for example in urban environments, implemented construction projects?
I. S.: I have to admit, in the urban environment, everything is almost a complete mistake... which, unfortunately, drags on for years.
PM: In your opinion, what is the reason: lack of expertise of the responsible persons, ignorance or unwillingness to invest?
I. S.: There are several components, not all cases can be lumped together. If we talk about street lighting, reconstruction, lighting of roads, streets, the city in general, it has become much better. They started signing contracts with well-known manufacturers who value their reputation and offer quality solutions. If we talk about spaces designed by municipalities, the situation is 50/50. Some of them would like to be rethought in a completely different way, somewhere they are over-enlightened, somewhere even with the naked eye it is noticeable that it was possible to work with the budget in a different way. After all, we are also about optimization, we say that here it is worth saving, and here it is not worth it. Decisions can be more balanced. The price of a mistake is not just the amount of lighting, but the function of light, emotions, these are complex things.
Lighting of the space near the Opera House in Lviv, one of the projects of the Luminal company. Photo: Mykola Mihal
The biggest problem, in my opinion, with the lighting of the residential areas of residential complexes is where the decisions are made by the developers. In Ukraine, they are absolutely not limited by standards that would regulate quality and comfort, healthy light. All this, unfortunately, does not work. In some new buildings, the situation is better, but even there they are more concerned with economic indicators, for example, so that the lighting equipment does not have to be replaced often. But a truly competent approach is not about the product, but about the solution, about its application in the project.
Luminal is a project company as well, so I always pay attention to such cases.
There are separate lighting solutions to keep bats from escaping from parks, and there are turtle-friendly lights
As for parks, this is, first of all, banal blindness. In Ukraine, nobody cares about the impact of lighting on the natural environment. I live near the park and see how the new light is installed in different parts of it with a completely mindless approach.
In Central Europe, this has been taken care of for years, but we do not have knowledge at the appropriate level. Maybe it's time for lighting designers and lighting technicians to start cooperating with municipalities.
Over millions of years, the human brain got used to the fact that if something glows in the evening, it is a candle or a fire. We have to take into account this naturalness of perception and make park lighting appropriate, it should not have harmful glare zones - what is called uplight or backlight. Even according to the LEED standards, which we are currently developing several projects, it is very clear that only activity areas that are functionally used can receive more light. For example, playgrounds where it is necessary to distinguish colors better.
Ihor Smetana, Human Centric Lighting expert, founder and CEO of Luminal
There are separate lighting solutions to keep bats from escaping from parks, and there are turtle-friendly lights. Migration of animals from parks affects the number of pests, insects, etc.
"The most painful topics of street lighting are glare and spectrum. There are high-quality solutions on the world market, but now there is a struggle for how to optimize the cost of technologies for Ukraine. We are working on this at our production facility," — Ihor Smetana
PM: Can we mention some of the implemented or ongoing projects that were particularly memorable for the team or contained a particular challenge?
I. S.: Currently, we design many individual custom solutions, these are chandeliers, lighting design items, with which you can give the object special features. I would like to point out one thing. In my past travels in European countries, I often observed, if not the Nordic, then the Northern European approach to the design of public spaces. And he came to the conclusion that the issue here is in the specifics of culture and values. In this respect, we seem to be in the middle between Asian and European cultures. Both have their advantages, both are necessary, but light, like design, is very sensitive to culture.
Custom chandelier made by Luminal lighting designers for the "Meat" restaurant (Emily Resort complex). Photo from the company archive
In Northern Europe, in the design of, for example, public spaces, not much attention is paid to the so-called wow effect, strong investments in order for the space to impress "at the start". Instead — to the comfortable stay of visitors and functions, i.e. values that work "for a long time". The lamp can be of a very simple shape, but with a well-calculated spectrum, energy-efficient consumption, high resource, made of quality materials, etc.
Probably, this culture is closer to our company.
Facade lighting of the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex in Lviv. Photo courtesy of Luminal
Customers put more emphasis on something, and less on something. We understand that they want to have a "highlight" in their objects, and we treat it well, as it should be. Soon we will announce a project in which there is a wall lamp with mechanical control and dynamic effects. This is an experiment, the idea hides an incredible amount of designer and engineer work.
We designed the lighting for the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex for about 1,5 years. During the work, it was determined that there is no daylight in the atrium of the center, this was taken into account in the project, and the customers listened to our recommendations. The idea was that visitors, entering the premises during the day, should not feel the atmosphere of a "basement". Not only the amount of light and its uniformity was important, it was also impossible to allow distortion of the spectrum.
In the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex, lighting designers and lighting technicians from Luminal worked on several spaces. There are zones where control systems are implemented, dynamic light that changes the color temperature according to the time of day. These solutions correspond to the principles of human-centered lighting. Photo from the Luminal archive
We were heard and the project was financed. Now, when I visit this space, I understand that we have achieved the desired effect. This is a value. We could have used other scenarios, added dynamics, some accents, but I believe that the chosen solution has become optimal. We can confirm this, take a spectrometer, measure the spectrum of light in the room and say: "You made a good investment."
LEOLAND has many other interesting areas with control systems, dynamic light in the reception area to the event hall, which changes the color temperature according to the time of day. This is what we call human-centric lighting, and it can also be customized according to the nature of the event.
Luminal lighting designers and lighting technicians worked for about 1,5 years with light projection for the spaces of the LEOLAND sports and entertainment complex. Photo from the company archive
"Working with light for the LvivTech.City business campus, implemented by the UDP company, involved a full cycle: design, implementation and commissioning. This project is certified by LEED and BREEAM standards, Ihor Smetana continues. — When planning projects, you can think in beautiful pictures, or you can visit the location, understand it and start "thinking with feelings", that's what will work. Next to the business campus is an old Austrian building. In the choice of light scenarios, the customer leaned towards some kitsch. During the design process, we delicately refused it in favor of more laconic, but effective lighting.
Thanks to engineering solutions and "invisible" technologies, light spills in the high and narrow niches of the facade of LvivTech.City like water. Photo from the Luminal company archive
The initial concept for LvivTech.City was developed by APA Wojciechowski, a well-known Warsaw architectural firm. Polish architects were the authors of the general idea, which did not contain significant details, the working project was carried out by their colleagues in Ukraine."
During a deeper study of the details and taking into account the context, it became clear that some points should be adapted and even changes made to the facade.
A close-up of the lighting of the niche on the facade of the LvivTech.City business campus. Photo from the Luminal company archive
Ihor Smetana recalls the words of Mykola Mihal, head of Luminal's lighting design group, who compares light to water, so it's easier for designers to explain its distribution in space. Optics is a "faucet", and the amount of light changes depending on its rotation.
Thanks to engineering solutions and "invisible" technologies (we remember the first principle of Luminal!), light really pours into the high and narrow niches of the facade of LvivTech.City like magical water.
