Let there be (adjustable) light!
How important is lighting in the office, and what should we think about to improve it? Martin Svensson, Lighting Solutions Manager at Coor, gives his perspective.
"The eyes are your brain’s windows to the world; they allow us to experience color, movement, light and shadow. Having good office lighting is an important part of employees’ well-being; it boosts creativity and gives them the conditions they need to perform their best. Martin Svensson, Lighting Solutions Manager at Coor, continues:
“To create an environment where employees want to be, property owners and landlords need to focus on their lighting. These days, as we are creating offices that resemble hotel lounges or cozy restaurants, lighting is key. It should be place oriented, which means that it focuses on a specific workstation, and each employee should be able to define their particular lighting environment.” What are the advantages to the employees in having good lighting?“There’s been a lot of research into circadian rhythms, our biological clocks, and how people behave depending on the light environment.
“The right lighting gives us an energy boost when we need it, while warmer light with less intensity helps us to unwind.”
The right lighting gives us an energy boost when we need it, while warmer light with less intensity helps us to unwind.”That’s why it is important that the rooms have different types of lighting depend-ing on what tasks need to be done there,
Martin says. “The focus areas need to have office lighting; videoconferencing rooms need proper light on the person’s face with the right contrast to the background light. Rooms for face-to-face meetings need a welcoming light around the table so we can focus on the people we’re talking to. Kitchen and lounge areas need lighting that reduces stress levels so we can eat in peace or take a break from productivity in the workplace.”
Companies at the forefront of office lighting include big names like Spotify, Microsoft, Google and King, all of which have designed workplaces that “employ-ees won’t want to leave.” “They’ve really invested in this and understand how important lighting is to create character, signal the company’s values and enhance their attractive-ness,” he explains.
Brilliant solution from CoorNature Connect is a sort of artificial skylight that creates a feeling of daylight in a room that otherwise does not have any natural light. This in turn creates a greater sense of well-being in the employees. It can also be used to optimize offices and give a lift to spaces that were not very well used.
Martin’s three tips for better light environments in the office
- Allow employees to create their own custom lighting environments
- Tailor the light environments of each room to the activities in it
- Consider: What feeling do you want the lighting to convey?
This is Brilliant solution
Brilliant solution from CoorNature Connect is a sort of artificial skylight that creates a feeling of daylight in a room that otherwise does not have any natural light. This in turn creates a greater sense of well-being in the employees. It can also be used to optimize offices and give a lift to spaces that were not very well used.