Bringing the Outside In

Synopsis

More than 50% of the world is now living in an urban environment and 90% of their time is spent indoors with artificial surroundings. Humans have been living and thriving with natural environments for thousands of years before artificial surroundings were introduced. The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and nature. The purpose of this thesis is to explore how nature’s visual benefits and the sun’s biological benefits can be turned into artificial lighting that will affect people’s psychological and biological health. Through studying natural interaction for smart environments, biophilia, biomimicry, circadian rhythms and light therapy, the purpose of my thesis research is to merge psychological and biological benefits from technology and nature together to create at-home smart lighting devices. Each prototype was created through biomimetic implementation of the sun to biologically keep your circadian rhythm natural while representing the presence of biophilic response through aesthetics. Through researching at-home lighting techniques, biomimicry, circadian rhythms and biophilia this thesis explores ways in which nature can be mimicked both technologically and aesthetically in an artificial at-home environment to help naturally sync the circadian rhythm.