OASIS OF CALM : A STUDY ON CREATING AN URBAN OASIS OF CALM INSPIRED BY NATURE

We live in daily cycles of brightness and darkness throughout our lives. Light is a device, both through natural and artificial sources, that supports the working of our brains in the processing, reconstruction, and classification of information (Galetta, 2014). According to the models of mental processing provided by various individuals in literature, light as a stimulus can induce specific emotions and behaviors in people (Tomassoni et al., 2015). The objective of this thesis project is to study the possibility of using light patterns and motions to support stress reduction and provide people with a feeling of calm in an indoor setting, where access to nature is limited. The participants (n=30) of the study are students and working adults who live in different cities. They have been asked to evaluate the natural elements and what they perceive as calmness and relaxation through the projection of five different sets of skies. The study considers light as a Biophilic design element, which provides people with calm and a sense of well-being in their work environment (i.e., home office, working space). Through the results of this first survey and insight from the study, the author conducted a lighting experiment using a small model and surveyed the participants’ responses on mood and preference to the different lighting conditions in the model. Consequently, it turned out that most of the participants, from both the online survey and through direct physical interaction with the model, mentioned that they would prefer spending their breaks during their workday in a space that has both patterned light and moving light (not static), rather than the absence of light patterns and motion. By shaping human experience, the study investigates the possibility of using artificial light as a Biophilic design element to provide people with a feeling of calm and, therefore, to support stress reduction in their work environment