Dreamplex – WELL light design for co-working space

wellness design • productivity • energy efficiency • ergonomic lighting

“Lighting design does more than just brighten spaces. It also highlights the wellness of the users and illuminates energy efficiency”

Lighting is a major element when it comes to workspace design. From smaller independent working areas to larger meeting rooms or “chill-out spaces’, lighting can help or hinder when setting the right tone and ambiance of a space.

In a common concept with other co-working spaces, Dreamplex is built to blend the structured environment of an office with the comforts of home.  With the design of open space, natural light, greenery, and decoration, the workspace gives its users the right mix of contentment, inspiration, and connection.

The lighting in this project has become a major feature, as it’s carefully considered to improve the individuals’ sense of well-being; connect with the environment and their emotions; achieve their higher productivity and provide a significant advancement in energy savings.

The success of a lighting project depends on its adapting to the needs of the users and to the available spaces. Considering the light as a factor of wellness & efficiency, with the investor and architect, we applied WELL Standards in Lighting for the project, where a circadian lighting concept (Feature 54) is firstly considered to optimize the space and the user’s body circadian rhythm. It is a way to illuminate the space in order to adapt to the physical, mental, and behavioral changes of the users in any 24-hour cycle. The light temperature is adjusted to adapt throughout the day, moving from a cooler shade in the early hours of the morning to warmer temperatures at night.

Furthermore, artificial lighting of workspaces must be approached considering the visual lighting design (Feature 53), the color quality, the relationship between color temperature (CCT) (Feature 58) and illumination level, and the contrast effects. We evaluated closely parameters such as the level of illuminance, measured in lux, as well as the ratio of luminance contrasts, in order to achieve an adequate luminance hierarchy of spaces. It also takes into account the glare index (Feature 56) and the degree of shielding of the luminaires in order to achieve greater visual comfort. A solution of using window shading and blinds controllable has been proposed and applied to control the solar glare, while still receiving enough sunlight during the daytime.

Regarding the labor productivity of the individuals joining the workspace, the lighting also needs to be flexible and functional for some specific areas (Feature 53). Thus, the light is designed to be consistent with different types of user’s activities and avoid generic design with uniform light. Task lightings are well- displayed to create a focus lighting effect, reduce glare from uniform lights, and meet the user’s personal demands while working.

Designing lighting for working space is never the same with a home or a hotel.  Energy savings and building efficiency are also undeniable factors while planning for a lighting strategy for this project. The main targets, besides the well-being of the people, are to help to reduce energy consumption, maintenance cost, and increase the speed of return on investment (ROI) for the investor.  Thus, the effective way to achieve it is to take advance of natural light. Natural light cannot be designed, but it can be adjusted, directed, and exposed purposely to bright up space, enhance productivity, indicate better sleep patterns, and positive vibes.

What to be promoted and encouraged for better performance in people’s working conditions and circadian health is when their leaders decide to arrange an appropriate working schedule for them. As office workers spending more and more time inside a building, the working schedule must be ensured to respect their “RIGHT TO LIGHT”, expose them to a well circadian light and prevent them from caused sickness and sleeping deprivation.

In short, proper well-thought design and a selection of good quality lighting fixtures are essential to provide a working environment that is full of productivity, efficiency, and especially the health of users.

Client:  Dreamplex

Interior Designer & Architect: T3 Architects

Collaboration: Harmonie (MEP design)

Energy Efficiency:  Artelia Group

Photographer: OKI Hiroyuki (DeconPhotoStudio)

Lighting designer & consultant: kobi lighting studio (Mr. Jonathan Trouillon – Creative Director, Ms. Huynh Hoang Dung – Lighting Design Manager & Ms. Eve Versaci – Lighting Designer)

Scope of lighting design:  lighting concept | lighting design development | lighting consultant for WELL standards | lighting authorship supervision