F E AT U R E
may not have been as apparent during the day. We often see bad lighting creating non-spaces after dark; spaces which by day appear quite normal but at night are transformed into uninviting floodlit spaces, which imply safety and security but encourage passers-by to continue walking and not dwell. This, of course, has a knock-on effect to the surroundings, to the extent that we repeatedly document people altering their routes after dark to avoid these types of spaces. It is an everyday experience for most to travel through a city after dark. And for many, it is also a common experience to travel from very welcoming zones to more threatening ones, at least in terms of perception. This is due to many factors, but excessive brightness, high contrast, poor light quality, and aesthetic of light fixtures are contributing factors. This is a very typical experience in London and particularly apparent when crossing social housing estates. Having worked within housing estates in London extensively, we repeatedly come across the same issues regardless of
their location. When we discuss the estate after dark with residents, we typically hear that the space is too dark or too bright, that some spaces feel unsafe, or that there are concerns about excessive lighting through bedroom windows. While some issues are fundamental problems arising from poor placement of lighting, others are more difficult to resolve as they require a broader understanding of the dynamics of the site. In many ways, we can largely anticipate what the after-dark conditions will be without even visiting the site. Floodlights illuminating open spaces, and bulkheads used to light outdoor walkways – consequentially also lighting the surrounding spaces to an unnecessary bright level. Curiously, although the estates were built at varying times throughout history and feature vastly broad designs and layouts, it seems a manual of how to light social housing estates was circulated at some point in history, resulting in the monotonous lighting approach we see today. Lighting is a marker of social
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inequality. However, it is now often seen as a luxury appropriate for the wealthy in areas where light is not a tool used for control, but simply a way to add value and character to the surroundings. In social housing estates, lighting is simply a functional tool, with no consideration for improving the environment, the wellbeing of residents of the estate or the wider public, but instead focused largely on deterring unwelcome activity. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many of these issues to the forefront by highlighting the lack of good lighting in playgrounds and the lack of welcoming and safe atmospheres, creating spaces which cannot be enjoyed after dark. For this reason, it is critical to approach each project as unique and strive to gain an understanding of each place and the many uses that are essential to achieving a successful design. Aside from the traditional site analysis, to gain a technical and spatial knowledge of the space, it is vital to understand the complex environment often found in social housing estates and community spaces. In our design work, we aim to create a link between the lighting of each space and the needs and concerns of the many stakeholders using the estate or public spaces. As we begin to transition to more equal public spaces after dark, it is important to acknowledge that the way forward is to design spaces not with less or more light, but instead by providing better lighting. The topic of ambience is one that we at Light Follows Behaviour studio (LFB) focus on heavily. Ambience refers to creating a desired feeling in a space through lighting as opposed to a product-led approach. In this way we approach each project free of constraints or pre-existing assumptions that another design approach may take. With the needed landscape or architecture in place, it is possible to create a boulevard atmosphere or a playful village atmosphere in a housing estate. Creating atmosphere is not about following a systematic rollout approach to each project with lighting elements, such as tree uplights, path lights, and columns, but instead analysing the wider space to understand where the
2. Bulkheads along external walkways create over-lit spaces and unnecessary spill light. 3. Entrance spaces are lit in the same manner as roads. 4. Lighting does not enhance architecture or space and obtrusive light through windows does not support wellbeing of residents. Images 2, 3, 4 © Catarina Heeckt
