Good lighting is necessary for all buildings, irrespective of location and building type. In hospitals, lighting plays a very important role satisfying the needs of personnel involved. Typically in healthcare designs, to understand the needs, it’s important for an architect to wear multiple hats, those of a patient, the medical staff, the visitor, the doctors, and the administrator staff. Understanding their work and emotions helps the architect to develop the design to suit their function and requirement.
Lighting helps the hospital environment in creating an ambience of well-being for the patients. It gives a sense of privacy, an identity, and helps in social contact. For the visitor, lighting gives them information, a good sense of orientation, and good hospitality. For the assisting the staff, be it medical or administrative, it helps in performing their duties. It helps them to communicate; it is more functional for the staff. Most importantly, good lighting gives a sense of safety for all people in the hospital.
Getting controlled natural light into the hospital is the best form of lighting. In India, it is important to study the best orientation from solar point of view, such that the building should receive the maximum during the winter and minimum in summer.
Architectural designs and elements play a very important role in controlling excess light from the outside and inducing light as a concept for wellbeing. In the long run, the hospital benefits from good lighting designs.
Giving direction
Orientation and guidance is extremely important, especially for patients and visitors. “Opening up” the institution makes the hospital a 24 hours public space. This is achieved by exposing waiting areas and main corridors in the general public areas open to the outside through glass walls or large window openings. This design aspect lets the outside light in and provides view which help people feel secure and not disoriented. An important aspect in letting in outside light is to reduce glare. Excessive contrast or abrupt and large changes in brightness produces the effect of glare. When glare is there it reduces the efficiency of vision, and small changes and details cannot be perceived. An example of glare is when the view of the outside bright sky through a window or skylight is perceived with the surrounding room light is dim and comparatively dark. Change in direction of corridors or change in levels affected by glare is definitely an area for accidents. Architecturally glare can be addressed by shielding the direct light by louvers, changing the external form with hoods, a “jaali window or jaali wall”, verandahs, covered balconies, large overhangs, cross lighting the surroundings to a comparable level, and many more design elements. A gradual transition of brightness from one portion to the other within the field of vision always avoids or minimises the glare effect.
Planning lighting pattern
Careful planning of brightness and colour pattern, within working areas and surroundings, help in drawing attention to the task or function of the room. The detail is seen quickly and accurately. Aspects that require to be considered here is the task itself, the immediate back ground of the task, and the general surroundings of walls, ceiling, floor, equipment, and furnishings.
In patient room the choice should be given to create individual lighting moods according to the moods and situation. The design should adapt flexibility. Lighting should change the ambience of a patient room to make it suitable for different purposes. It should be bright functional light for an examination environment and have a warm and pleasant atmosphere in which the patient can enjoy a relaxing conversation with visitors
Hospitals are high-intensity, 24/7 working environments. The staff must be able to communicate with patients while concentrating on demanding tasks and making critical decisions under pressure at all times of the day and night. How well a hospital performs, and how it is perceived by the staff, is directly related to their motivation and sense of well-being. In functional areas, be it the intense work atmosphere in the OTs, or the ICUs, or the diagnostic areas, etc., the main work takes place over the whole utilisation area of the room. The illumination needs to be reasonably uniform and specific over the main work space. Task brightness should be appropriate to the function that it is catering for. The brightness to the other parts of the room should be planned to give proper emphasis to visual comfort and interest. The rhythm of light and darkness also synchronises the biological clocks. Two characteristics of light that strongly influence how they feel, both physiologically and psychologically, are its intensity and color (e.g., “cool” or “warm”). Having the ability to adapt the environment to their personal preferences also increases their motivation and improves their sense of comfort and satisfaction. In short, a flexible lighting design in functional works is a must.
The ambience
Today, many hospitals already offer hotel-style facilities for people receiving outpatient care and for family members of inpatients. Buildings of this kind require a very different atmosphere than that found in the hospitals of the past. It is important for hospitals to prepare for this new range of patients and services. By embracing the coming changes in the healthcare industry, hospitals can attract a wider public—and benefit from the associated revenue streams. They will also build an atmosphere of confidence and trust, demonstrating that they not only take the needs of their patients seriously, they also support family and friends as partners in the healing process. Lighting designs that is integrated into the architecture can create an appealing, emotionally uplifting atmosphere.
It is important to grade the ambience within the building to allow adequate time for adaption when passing from one area to another area. This is important to avoid accidents and give that sense of belonging.
Example – A spacious entry hall with bright light and colorful light accents communicates an important message to visitors. Entry halls need to have windows arranged to the outside to give adequate natural lighting to the immediate entrance. Windows help in creating levels of gradation of light from a very bright outside to the inside. This architectural design detail communicates to the people – You are welcome.
In a nutshell lighting in hospitals should cater to the following aspects.
Patient areas – These are patient rooms, recreational areas.
The key issues are to make the hospital less intimidating, create personalised space and Safety. This can be achieved by easy controlled light and no direct lighting. Indirect lighting where the source of light is covered is preferred.
Public areas – Lobbies, corridors, cafeteria, waiting rooms.
The key issues are giving orientation and safety, inviting interiors for the visitors and patients, giving brand experience. This is achieved by contour lighting and colour solutions. Openings to the outside is a very good idea.
Exterior and entrance – Facades, parking areas, entryway.
The hospital needs to be the landmark, a building to be remembered. The key issues are visibility, creating a brand image and orientation and safety. Striking façade lighting, functional area lighting for parking is some of the solutions.
Imaging and treatment areas – Operating rooms, MRI and CT rooms and diagnostic rooms.
These purely functional areas require optimal working environment, efficient turn-over rates, (this helps in generating good business for the hospital) and motivate the staff for improved performance. Good task lighting solutions with low glare designs help in achieving good lighting designs.
Staff areas – Nurse stations, laboratories, examination rooms. These support service areas too require optimal working environment. A feeling of well being helps in motivating the staff with better performances.
Lighting helps communicate the hospital’s healthcare mission to the outside world while also increasing the facility’s operating efficiency. Architectural outdoor lighting is one of the most powerful ways to turn the building into a prominent landmark, a living symbol of care and hospitality. Indoors, smart lighting management systems can allow substantial savings on energy costs.
Intelligent and good lighting design details, develops highly durable, energy-efficient lighting systems that reduce total cost of ownership and minimise environmental impact.
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