Global - English

Shining a light on 
health and well being

Our webinar on Light and health implications for hospitality is now available online.

View our recording

 

Click the video player to watch the webinar and learn how fine-tuning light to our circadian rhythms can boost health and well-being.

RIBA logo

Presented by

Mariana Figueiro
Mariana Figueiro
 
Mariana Figueiro is Light and Health Program Director at Lighting Research Center. She studies the effect of light on human health, including alertness and performance.

Key topics and learnings

 

In a sense, our brains are blue-sky detectors. We have evolved to scan the ambient light for its color, as this gives us useful information about the time of day. This has great implications for our wake-and-sleep patterns, and for our health and well-being. In natural habitats, the system works perfectly. But in a built environment with artificial lighting, our brains need a little help.


Understanding the circadian system allows us to mitigate the effects of jet lag, improve sleep and increase alertness. There are even indications that light therapy can raise the effectiveness of medication regimens, and that it might affect the clinical findings in studies involving test animals. Also, different wavelengths of light affect our minds in different ways.


In Light and health: implications for hospitality and beyond you will discover how new neurological and behavioural insights are transforming lighting applications in the hospitality and health industries, and beyond. This is especially relevant to populations that are highly sensitive to the effects of light, such as teenagers, the infirm and the elderly.

Related material

  • The Future of Facade lighting

    The Future of Facade lighting

    This webinar will give you insights into AI-driven facades, IoT integration, and real-time environmental interaction—helping you stay ahead of emerging design and technology trends.

  • People First, lighting Second

    People First, lighting Second

    Attend this webinar(July 2026) to understand and apply a human-centred approach to lighting design that prioritises human wellbeing over architecture-driven solutions.

  • Can we still design consciously with light

    Can we still design consciously with light

    Watch this webinar(February 2026) to explore how lighting and architectural designers can make responsible, future-ready decisions by balancing creativity, sustainability, ethics, and emerging technologies like AI.