Going dark

These past few months I have had a change to get accustomed to the big and bold decision that I have made. Saying goodbye to lighting design was the inevitable choice, but never an easy one.

Since the start of the pandemic the lighting design practice started to feel like a misfit for me. Its human centered perspective, that is not only the case in the world of lighting design but in all design disciplines in general, raised more and more questions in my heart and mind. Why would we want to light the world after sunset? Why would we want buildings to glow in the dark? Do we really need to have this never fading sky glow around us? It is obviously not healthy for the planet, but is it not evenly bad for us? Do we even know what actually is a healthy way of living? What the natural balance is between light and darkness? We know rationally that the circadian rhythm is important, but are we still able to feel its benefits in our bodies? How disconnected are we from nature?

With all these questions rising it was really hard to find my way to the core of my unease. I have explored many options, thinking biophilic lighting design might be the answer, or conscious design, or more natural behaving technology and control systems. But in all I found no satisfaction. Until l realised something: Reestablishing our relationship with nature has to come from both sides.

The human centered perspective is what bothered me the most. I am very much a supporter of the philosophy of Biophilia; that there is an inherent human affinity to affiliate with natural systems and processes. I fully support the vision of the Biophilic Design approach that people need to be reconnected with nature and that contact between the two needs to be fostered as much as possible in the modern built environment. However, it takes two to tango. A relationship can never be build from a single perspective alone. And yet, the 14 patterns of Biophilic Design talk about the needs of us humans in this relationship only. What we need to be able to feel more connected with nature. How about what nature needs to feel more connected with humans? Has anybody ever thought about this?

I realised that I need to take this transition in my thinking and ethos as a designer many steps further than one would normally go. I needed to break with everything that I knew and reinvent myself. Even questioning myself as being a designer.

I have been reading, talking, listening, walking, philosophizing and opening up my senses a lot the past few months. Forcing myself not to judge, not to come to any conclusions and just follow my guts. Not an easy thing to do at all. And from these efforts three explorative roads have emerged:

Horticulture Both my parents have studied in Wageningen, at the University of Life Sciences in the Netherlands, and I always regretted that they never passed on their knowledge of plants and the natural world to me. Perhaps I have not asked fiercely enough.. Nature has always been my major source of inspiration, all throughout my careers in Scenography for Theatre and (Architectural) Lighting Design. However, not possessing any knowledge apart from what I was sensing and detecting visually about the natural world, turned out to be my biggest hidden frustration once I let go of my established truths as a designer. And so I decided to go back to school and dive into the world of horticulture (plant specialist) and garden design. I long to know everything there is to know about nature, about plants, about species that live the natural life. I long to keep it simple, focus on what is there in front of me, surrounding me. Small scale, personal, direct impact. The next 3 years this will be my new world to explore, to learn from the natural world and to let the natural world learn from me. Let's see if I can succeed in establishing a two-way relationship with nature myself. And what comes next, we'll see..

Dark skies Nature inclusive lighting design, circadian lighting, human centric lighting design, biophilic lighting design, trends are succeeding each other quickly in the world of artificial lighting. They all have in common that nature makes its entrance on the stage and that it is not solely about us humans anymore. A very positive development. However, I do not see or hear anybody questioning the perspective in this matter. There is always this premature conclusion that humans need lighting at night. Because of our 24/7 economy, because we are not a nocturnal species, because we don't feel safe in the dark, because we cannot see in the dark. How about what nature needs? And how does that work out when we consider ourselves as being part of nature? Are our presumed needs really what we need when we consider ourselves a natural species, as much influenced by the disturbance of the natural rhythm of day and night as any other living being on this planet? I don't believe so much that the right light at the right place and the right time is the right answer to this matter. Reduction is a limited solution and not necessarily focused on the right problem. I believe that we have to question ourselves, our desires and needs and our role and place in the natural world first. I know that I cannot change human society on my own regarding this matter and perhaps nobody can. But a shift in thinking about our relationship with artificial lighting versus the natural rhythm of day and night can start with anybody. Much inspired by 1933 Japanese novel 'In praise of shadows' from Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, I would like to find a way that suits me personally to raise awareness about this topic. The question is, who am I in relation to the dark sky? What could be my role in this matter? I am not sure yet, but the road is exciting to explore..

Life centered design My interest in a change of perspective in all these matters regarding our relationship with nature, has sort of naturally led me to the discovery of the Life Centered Design approach. Designers like Damien Lutz, Martin Tomitsch & Katerina Clasen and The Life Centered Design School (an initiative from Unbeaten Studio by Jeroen Spoelstra and Marcela Xirinachs) offer an interesting way of thinking about exactly all those questions that have emerged with me as well. I'll have to dive into it more profoundly first, but my secret hope is that Life Centered Design might be a way for me to combine my two strong interests that I want to explore, Horticulture and Dark Skies, into a single future career path.

So about going dark. This is not only because I have decided to leave the lighting industry. I also need time away from the beaten track of the design world in general. I'll go back to school, because I want to go back to learning about worlds that I have no knowledge of nor experience in. And I'm very curious to see where and in what way this seed will eventually turn out to grow roots and pop up as a plant, a tree, as a path for me to continue as a professional.....designer?

Let's go underground!