ALBA — Encouraging healthy rhythms one sunrise at a time
Light solutions for a rhythmic existence.
The circadian rhythm is one of the most important biological cycles that helps people and animals alike to anticipate changes in their environment. This rhythm is mainly guided by the exposure to light. It is therefore important and vital if one wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle to be aware of the impact of light throughout the day.
By lowering or raising the light source up and down, depending on the moment of the circadian rhythm one finds oneself, the passage of the day can be visualized within ones home. The vertical change in position affords us to „see what we usually don’t see“ -this statement is borrowed from the idea of Shikake’s by Naohiro Matsumura - which aims at shaping behavior through design objects that make visible what isn’t there and encourage a certain action. Instead of following the hands of a clock on the wall, Alba represents the day in vertical locations and through the intensity and hue of the light. When placing the light source at a low position at night not only does it build mindful behaviors around light consumption but also has a physiological impact due to the placements of the light receptive cells (blue light responsive Melanopsin cells) in the eye. These cells are less activated when light at night arrives from low angles compared to ceiling lights.
Alba applies a systems approach to the problem of disconnected rhythms. The product gathers real time data of day length, and solar cycles and in doing so it contrasts natural rhythms with clock time and our modern, busy lifestyles. This creates an experience that raises awareness about the artificial light we consume and fosters a mindful interaction with it. Its approach allows users to learn about their light diet (how much and at what time of the day they consume light), make changes to it if necessary and helps understand the impact of light and the rhythmicity of life on health and well being.