The future of light

Understanding how light is gathered, focused and distributed in nature can help us solve complex design problems. This understanding coupled with the use of biological algorithms can aid the development of lighting solutions that use resources more efficiently and are more adaptable to future challenges. TED speaker and Director at Exploration Architecture Limited, Michael Pawlyn is an expert on biomimicry, an approach to innovation that focuses on sustainable solutions to human challenges by mimicking nature’s proven patterns and strategies. The goal of biomimicry is to create products, processes and policies that are well-adapted to life on earth over a long period of time. In Biomimicry: design inspired by nature, you will discover how light is gathered, focused and distributed in biology, how biological algorithms can help us solve complex design problems, and how this novel approach can help us move towards truly regenerative lighting designs. This webinar is AIA and RIBA approved.

Cities around the world are looking to innovate and adapt to the changing demands of an increasingly urbanized, globalized and digitalized world. Philips Lighting’s connected lighting solutions are one piece of the puzzle in trying to meet the needs of the evolving modern urban center. However, no single company can shepherd this complex transformation on its own. Andreas Knobloch of Philips Lighting explains why creating partnerships is the key to empowering cities while SAP’s Sean O’Brian and Vodafone’s Cyril Deschanel further elucidate how their companies are working to help cities better serve their citizens.

Founded in 2008, the Media Architecture Biennale (MAB), a large arts event held every two years, serves as a global platform for architects, designers, artists, and others to discuss creative ideas and learn about the future of media architecture. Guests have access to conferences, exhibitions, awards ceremonies, symposiums, and more.

This year, MAB is going down under in Sydney, Australia from June 1-4, 2016 with a theme of ‘digital place-making.’ The goal? To bring together industry experts to examine the role that technology and digital media play in turning urban environments into smart cities.

Skillfully versed in light and its relationship with public spaces, Susanne Seitinger, global sub-segment manager for open spaces and professional lighting systems at Philips Lighting, will be one of this year’s keynote speakers. Seitinger will focus her presentation around her publication, ‘Light for Public Spaces,’ which showcases hundreds of cities that are using light to become intelligent, connected, and future-proof. Susanne is joined by many other exceptional keynote speakers, including Carlo Ratti, director of the Senseable City Lab at MIT who is conducting research partially funded by Philips.

In addition, MAB16 will be held in conjunction with Vivid Sydney, a 23-day festival of light, music, and ideas.

The world’s population growth and ongoing climate change are just two of the challenges that will have a major impact on food production and horticulture in the 21st century. A new scientific understanding of the effects of light on plant growth and greenhouse management can be a key contributor to safeguarding a steady supply of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. In this Light Bite series Horticulture LED Lighting: Growth Like Never Before, you will discover how light forms an integral part of plant growth and how new technologies and insights are opening up innovative solutions to the challenges that horticulture will face in the future. Visit this page to register for all three parts of the series.

Dr. Peter Boyce is a leading expert in the field of human-centric lighting and discusses how lighting affects the visual and non-visual aspects of human physiology and how it fits into a larger network of factors that can influence mood, motivation and behavior. How exactly does the intensity, quality and color of lighting impact our alertness, sleep quality, behavior, health and well-being? And how can we effectively evaluate the claims made for human-centric lighting?

by Angela Daley

Do you remember one of your first biology lessons as a child? At some point in elementary school, you were probably given a small Styrofoam cup, a handful of soil and a single seed that you were instructed to bury down into the dirt. And what were the crucial next steps? Keep it watered and place it in a sunny spot, of course. You checked your cup everyday waiting for that magical moment when you’d see a tiny green sprout reaching up towards the light and your teacher would explain that the sun was integral for a process called photosynthesis – the way the plant would convert sunlight into food.

“What kind of world do you want to build?”  That’s the question driving real estate developer Owen Zachariasse of the Delta Development Group. As a third generation real estate developer – his grandfather helped create the famous suburban Levittowns after WWII – his company is striving to move away from mass-produced buildings by employing the cradle-to-cradle design philosophy. Watch this fascinating talk about how they’re working to create sustainable buildings of quality that will retain their value indefinitely.

What exactly is a smart building? What can it do and what impact does it have on efficiency and productivity? Imagine your workplace’s building advised you on the best place to sit based on your agenda. Or it indicated the best meeting room and guided you to the right spot. Philips Lighting's Onno Willemse and Cisco's Akshay Thakur discuss how connected lighting can create intelligent buildings that make for better, smarter, more sustainable offices for the future of working.

When you fly at night, there is something magical about the sight of the cities and road lights down below. Instinctively, we know: where there is human activity, there is light. And there is growing scientific evidence that lighting does much more than simply provide illumination. Human centric lighting can connect us, make us feel good, and be better at what we do.

Researchers have found that light meets both visual and non-visual needs – and understanding this interaction has opened up a new realm of applications. These insights help us develop commercial lighting solutions that are targeted at enhancing vision, well-being, and performance by applying an in-depth knowledge of science, customers and user needs.

In The Human Factor in Lighting Designs you will see how awareness and scientific evidence that people need light for their health and well-being plays an essential role in creating attractive LED-based value-to-customer propositions that go well beyond energy saving.

Join this webinar and discover how science-based lighting designs can benefit human physiology and psychology.

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In this future-focused presentation, Philips research fellow Marc de Samber and Dr. Robbert Karlicek of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute discuss emerging LED trends and what those mean for the lighting systems of the future. Learn more about changes in the LED lighting supply chain, including the chip-to-luminaire transition, and how these alterations will enable more flexibility in how lighting designers employ LED chips.

Claire Danes literally sparkled at the Met Gala in a glowing Zac Posen gown.

A photo posted by @zacposen on May 2, 2016 at 7:07pm PDT

How can connected lighting serve as an enabler and catalyst for transitioning to a new era of city technologies? That’s the question at the heart of this talk by Philips Lighting’s Susanne Seitinger and Nancy Clanton, President of Clanton & Associates Lighting Design and Engineering. Learn more about smart cities as they delve into the challenges our urban areas face today – from conserving energy to dealing with the many non-lighting issues that arise when cities switch to connected LEDs.

This is the first of nine video presentations featuring experts from all areas of the lighting world.

Last week, we took a look at the first 7 winners of the Philips/LUCI City.People.Light awards here. This week, we’ll look at the remaining 6 winners and the impact each project has had on its respective community. From Germany, to Spain, to France, City.People.Light unites countries across the globe over the utilization of light and how it can better our public spaces.

2010 – Lucerne, Switzerland

The City.People.Light contest is back and looking for another city that has reinvigorated urban environments and united citizens with light. For more than 10 years, City.People.Light has encouraged lighting professionals around the globe to engage, innovate, and create a better life for citizens and visitors.

From major cities to small towns, a diverse number of countries has taken home the award over the past 13 years. Read below to learn about previous winners and the impact each project has had on its community.

2003 – Cergy, France

A new town in the north-western suburbs of Paris, Clergy’s need for a modern design presented a challenge. The lighting scheme not only beautifully accentuated the city’s architecture, but also created a safe and welcoming environment for citizens and tourists alike. The new lighting fit swimmingly with the town’s slogan: “Change the town and you change your life.”

Three advanced Lighting Designers, Paul Traynor, Neil Skinner and Tapio Rosenius, engage one another in a discussion about the future role of the Lighting Designer. Get a glimpse into their innovative projects and hear a snippet of what they have to say regarding the future of their profession in this teaser video. The full interview will be live at the beginning of May. Register now so you don’t miss out!

Good lighting is good for you. To those in the know – lighting designers, installers, architects, lighting researchers – this is a self-evident truth. But to the decision-makers and end users who commission lighting projects and experience them day-to-day, lighting may still seem to be a simple commodity feature. It’s time to re-evaluate our approach to the market.

by Angela Daley

Ask any environmentalist what keeps them up at night and more than likely you’ll hear the same answer from every one of them: overpopulation. There are now about 7.4 billion people on this green and blue ball and many of the dire issues already facing our species – problems such as dwindling natural resources, global warming, pollution and increased competition for food and water – derive from the simple fact that there are so many of us... and it’s only going to get worse. By 2050, the world’s population is estimated to expand another 2.5 billion.