Lighting Design for Ageing Eyes: Design Guidebook for Interior Designers

This research investigates the impact of lighting design on the quality of life of older adults, focusing on enhancing visual comfort, cognitive engagement, emotional stability, and independence. It examines how different lighting designs, specifically adaptive, natural, and artificial lighting, affect the visual comfort, sleep quality, mood, and cognitive functions of the elderly in residential and care environments. A mixed-methods approach was employed, incorporating surveys and interviews to capture the lighting needs of seniors. The findings indicate that well-designed lighting solutions, including adaptive systems, increased natural light access, accessible individual controls, and different task and time of day-based colour temperature accommodation can significantly improve the well-being and autonomy of the elderly. Interior designers are also encouraged to adopt adaptive lighting strategies, consider emotional impacts, and integrate biophilic elements to create supportive environments for ageing populations, from holistic perspectives involving every stakeholder from design to operational and implemental stages.