Meet the NatureConnect by Signify team: honorable mention for the New to World Solutions category.
Cristina Tanase, General Manager, NatureConnect
Inge van de Wouw, Business Development & Marketing Manager, NatureConnect
Paul Thursfield, Design Lead User Experience, NatureConnect
Ramon van de Ven, Senior Exploration Designer, NatureConnect
Marc van Delden, Senior Scientist, Signify Research
Lennart Yseboodt, R&D Manager, NatureConnect
Check out their submission:
This is an actual project for a client.
The past year has made us more aware of our physical and mental health and wellbeing than ever before. It has also elevated workplace wellbeing from a nice-to-have employee benefit to a critical business priority. In a building, nothing is as important as its users. People should feel comfortable in a healthy environment to be able to feel and perform at their best. Employees are going to expect much more from employers and the experience that the workplace delivers.
As we prepare to return to the workplace, it is time for employers to rethink their spaces in support of employee wellbeing. Even before COVID-19 and the lockdown, we were already spending 90% of our time indoors. Knowing that the build environment strongly impacts our physical and mental health and wellbeing, it is up to us to make it a happy, healthy and productive place. A place where people really want to be. Increasing amounts of research reiterate the importance of daylight.
As human beings we have a fundamental need, not just a desire, to connect to nature, a concept known as Biophilia. Natural light and darkness give our body clocks essential time cues to stay in sync with the outside world, which is at the core of good health, sleep, wellbeing and productivity. The latest lighting innovation NatureConnect by Signify brings these benefits of natural light back into our lives, into the build environment, where we spend most of our time. NatureConnect is built on proven Biophilic Design principles and mimics natural patterns of daylight indoors to create comfortable, engaging and attractive environments.
Following nature’s example, the light color and illuminance change over the course of the day from cool light colors that activate to warm light colors that relax. Such concepts of biodynamic lighting did already exist, but NatureConnect adds crucial elements – such as a view to the sky and natural dynamics on the wall – for a more immersive, pleasant and natural experience.
• Daylight: Mimics the daily rhythm of the sun to help people stay active during the day and rest well at night.
• Skylight: Provides a view to the sky to create a feeling of spaciousness and connection with nature.
• Lightscape: Applies natural colors and dynamics on the wall for a fully immersive experience.
Via an intuitive user interface, users can select either the automatic ‘Day Rhythm’, that follows the rhythm of the sun, or other natural light scenes such as ‘Energize’, ‘Relax’ or ‘Present’ to tailor the environment to their needs. With our submission of NatureConnect, we are pleased to showcase market ready solutions that both inspire innovations and can create healthier lives for people worldwide. Businesses that already live by the principles of employee wellbeing really make a difference, not only to the people, but also to their business. Even more so in this rapidly evolving world of work. Let’s collectively rethink lighting in this new era for health and wellbeing. The sky is not the limit!
Click on an image to see it full size.
To celebrate their win, we connected with the team to see how their idea evolved since it was submitted.
“As many companies are preparing for a return to the workplace, we see that solutions around employee Health & Wellbeing have gained momentum, making propositions like NatureConnect more relevant than ever before.”
Comments from the Jury:
This concept is interesting!
I like the concept of circadian lighting.
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Voting ends September 24th – one vote per person.
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