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An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living

Bell, Emily Louise
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523539636787946

Abstract Details

2018, Master of Fine Arts, Ohio State University, Design.
Aging is an inevitable process and people are living longer than ever before. Currently, there are about 50 million people over 65 years old in the United States, which is expected to grow to over 72 million by 2030 (Ortman & Velkoff, 2014). This rapidly increasing population has elevated the significance of designing environments that not only meet needs of the larger aged population, but also establish healthier and more desirable living conditions. Functional declines are a normal part of aging, therefore, environments designed for older adults must establish features that support the specific needs of the aging population. As an element of design that is all around us, light, whether natural or artificial, provides both functional and emotional supports. In senior living facilities, since resident rooms are often around the exterior, many community spaces are pushed to the core and have limited or no daylight access. Therefore, it is not only important to ensure that artificial light is of sufficient brightness, but it is also important to understand what effects qualities of light may have on older adults as past research indicates that light has both functional and emotional effects on people (Martyniuk et al., 1973). The rise of LED lighting has provided an opportunity to explore qualities and application of artificial light in interior environments. LED lamps can range from 2700K (warm) to over 6000K (cool) color temperature, providing an opportunity to better understand the impact color temperature may have on older adults. This exploratory research evaluates older adults’ impressions of their interior environment when illuminated by different correlated color temperatures of light. Through four sessions, older adults evaluated the facility’s existing light (2700K CFL) and three replacement LEDs (3000K, 4000K, 5000K) that had similar CRI and brightness, providing their subjective impressions of the session’s lighting. As senior living and long-term care facilities are designed to function as a support for older adults as they experience aging changes, an older adult’s impression of lighting within their community spaces is significant to helping develop a supportive environment. Research results may help improve general lighting conditions for public spaces within senior living facilities. Through an understanding of priorities and what current older adults respond to and view as important, designers have an opportunity to improve qualities of current senior living facilities. While this research focuses on perceptions from the current aged population, these methods and results can inform research focused on the future aged population.
Rebekah Matheny (Advisor)
Jeffery Haase (Committee Member)
Monica Robinson, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA (Committee Member)
Mary Anne Beecher, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Design
color temperature; older adults; lighting; senior living; interior design

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bell, E. L. (2018). An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523539636787946

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bell, Emily. An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living. 2018. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523539636787946.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bell, Emily. "An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1523539636787946

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.