Cariboni Group: illuminating slowness
photo © Stefano Anzini photo © Stefano Anzini
Cariboni Group: illuminating slowness
He who wastes time, conquers space. There is a new approach to urban design that is redesigning cities by promoting slow mobility with the aim of strengthening the connection between public spaces and the urban communities that inhabit them. Indeed, slowness makes it possible to see things that
one might not otherwise see. By quitting cars, we find the freedom to focus no longer on the action of driving but on our surroundings. The moment we slow down, our perception of space changes and we experience the landscape in a more concrete and conscious way. By going slowly and observing better, links are created between people and with territories; thus, the city becomes more liveable and vital. How can light contribute to urban slowness? Lighting can certainly encourage alternative mobility by making illuminated spaces comfortable for people walking and cycling during the hours of darkness. With this in mind, Cariboni Group has created BLOS, the Biophilic Led Optical System. Whereas outdoor lighting, in particular street lighting, is generally designed and regulated according to the motorist-user’ s characteristics, BLOS has instead been specifically designed for the well-being of pedestrians and cyclists. The lighting needed by non-motorised users is very different from that needed by motorists because travel speeds, visibility requirements and viewing directions are different. The topic is still little explored and for this reason the Cariboni Group acquired new studies on the definition and measurement of glare for non-motorised users. The research activity was carried out in collaboration with the Energy Department of the Turin Polytechnic. The results obtained made it possible to develop an innovative optical system capable of avoiding both debilitating glare and annoying glare from slow-moving people. BLOS is compatible with the latest urban lamps in the Cariboni Group’ s Urban catalogue. In fact, glare-free light is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the urban comfort of pedestrians and cyclists at night. The colour of light is also a fundamental feature. The new Cariboni products integrate systems capable of dynamically modifying the spectral distribution of light through technologies:
• Dynamic White 1800-4000K( Urban catalogue) or 2200K-4000K( Architectural catalogue) that allows the control of white light colour temperature. The light can be adjusted from a neutral white colour to a warm white colour. Dynamic White optical systems offer the designer the opportunity to choose a precise tonal gradation of light and to give places a changing identity that can be adjusted as needed. The warmth and intensity of light can vary to match seasonal colour variations, to make an urban space more attractive or to stimulate certain reactions in observers.
• Colour changing RGBW 3000K( Architectural catalogue) that allows for a wide range of colour options. Coloured light in the urban context, if used consciously, can improve the well-being of citizens. Neuroscience has shown that colour has a significant psychological influence on the perception of the environment, generating effects on people’ s emotional reactions and behavioural responses. Illuminating the nocturnal urban landscape with colour can stimulate emotions such as fascination, involvement and affection towards the illuminated space. These emotions improve the urban mood and encourage interaction between people, contributing to a good degree of urban sociability. LUCE 352 / COMPANIES REPORT 13