Light4Health eLearning Course: health research for interior lighting design. Re-thinking design approaches based on science

Abstract

This paper presents the results of ‘Light4Health’ (L4H), a three-year EU Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership grant project (2019-2021), which investigated, systematized and taught health-related research on the impact of natural and artificial light on human health and well-being relevant to indoor lighting design. The objective was to re-think evidence-based lighting design approaches for residential, working/educational, and healthcare spaces, in order to develop a novel cross-disciplinary eLearning platform, that intersects lighting design and current peer-reviewed health research through a select combination of the most relevant research, methods, and tools. The content was developed through teaching workshops with international researchers, teachers, and students. Participating students were introduced to the application of relevant research and new metrics, in order to produce creative lighting design proposals. Students were able to inform lighting design approaches that support health and well-being without compromising creativity via the tools and methods developed through the health sciences. With this project, participants and consortium members have narrowed the gap that exists between research and the practice/application of lighting, by translating research from complex scientific jargon into various tools for designers to use. The knowledge gained, was consolidated into an open-access online curriculum for international lighting design students, educators and professionals via the free eLearning Moodle platform (https://course.light4health.net/).