An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living

136 Pages·2017·8 MB·English

by  Emily Bell

An Exploratory Lighting Study on the Effects of Correlated Color Temperature in Senior Living

Thesis
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Fine Arts in the
Graduate School of The Ohio State University
By
Emily Bell
Graduate Program in Design

The Ohio State University
2018

Thesis Committee:
Rebekah Matheny, Advis er
Jeffery Haase
Monica Robinson, OTD, OT/L, FAOTA
Mary Anne Beecher, Ph.D.
Copyright by
Emily L. Bell
2018
Abstract
Aging is an inevitable process and people are living longer than ever before. Currently,
there are about 50 million people over 65 years old in the United States, which is expected to
grow to over 72 million by 2030 (Ortman & Velkoff, 2014). This rapidly increasing population
has elevated the significance of designing environments that not only meet needs of the larger
aged population, but also establish healthier and more desirable living conditions. Functional
declines are a normal part of aging, therefore, environments designed for older adults must
establish features that support the specific needs of the aging population.
As an element of design that is all around us, light, whether natural or artificial, provides
both functional and emotional supports. In senior living facilities, since resident rooms are often
around the exterior, many community spaces are pushed to the core and have limited or no
daylight access. Therefore, it is not only important to ensure that artificial light is of sufficient
brightness, but it is also important to understand what effects qualities of light may have on older
adults as past research indicates that light has both functional and emotional effects on people
(Martyniuk et al., 1973). The rise of LED lighting has provided an opportunity to explore
qualities and application of artificial light in interior environments. LED lamps can range from
2700K (warm) to over 6000K (cool) color temperature, providing an opportunity to better
understand the impact color temperature may have on older adults.
This exploratory research evaluates older adults’ impressions of their interior
environment when illuminated by different correlated color temperatures of light.T hrough four
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sessions, older adults evaluated the facility’s existing light (2700K CFL) and three replacement
LEDs (3000K, 4000K, 5000K) that had similar CRI and brightness, providing their subjective
impressions of the session’s lighting. As senior living and long-term care facilities are designed
to function as a support for older adults as they experience aging changes, an older adult’s
impression of lighting within their community spaces is significant to helping develop a
supportive environment.
Research results may help improve general lighting conditions for public spaces within
senior living facilities. Through an understanding of priorities and what current older adults
respond to and view as important, designers have an opportunity to improve qualities of current
senior living facilities. While this research focuses on perceptions from the current aged
population, these methods and results can inform research focused on the future aged population.
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Dedication
In memory of my dad, Wilson Bell, for starting me on the journey of design. In
dedication to my mom, Janet Bell, for always believing in me and my fiancé Jeremy Valentine
for being such an incredible support throughout this process.

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Acknowledgements
To my adviser and each committee member, thank you for your thoughtful feedback and
support over the past few years.
Rebekah, thank you for not only advising through the thesis work, but for also becoming
a mentor in teaching and presenting. I have gained so much valuable experience from not only
guest lecturing in your classes, but also through our other research endeavors. From your
mentorship and advising, I feel so much more prepared for my future in academia.
Jeff, thank you for pushing the in -person perspective for research whic h greatly enriched
the conversations and information gathered from the older adults. Thank you also for the
opportunity to integrate this research and my experience with older adults into your human
factors class.
Monica, thank you for your health -oriented perspective, experience with older adults, and
scientific perspective that enriched my design perspective. I have gained so much by dissecting
and connecting data with you.
Mary Anne, thank you for your guidance in academic writing and in ways to furth er
communicate this research to practicing designers. You have helped me better understand how to
frame my research, explain significance, and determine ways to make this research and process
more tangible to professionals.
Adam, thank you for so much help in understanding presentation quality, diagramming,
and talking through research problems.
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To all of my peers: these past years would have been so much more boring if it wasn’t for
our conversations in studio.
Jeremy, thank you for being the best cheerleader ever throughout these years, for seeing
the finish line when I couldn’t, and for all the cooking and cleaning you’ve done so that I could
work longer.

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Vita
2011 .............. Design Intern, Garrow Kedigian Interior Design, New York, NY
2012 .............. Design & Office Assistant, Garrow Kedigian Interior Design, New York, NY
2013 .............. B.S. summa cum laude, Interior Design ,Business Administration Minor
High Point University, High Point, NC
2013-2015 ..... Interior Designer/CAD Drafter, Küche-Cucina, Paramus, NJ
2017 - 2018 ... Research Consultant, Columbus, OH
2018 .............. MFA (pending), Design, Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Agin g
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Publications
Bell, E. (2018). Lighting for senior living: a study of older adults’ perceptions ocfo lor
temperature. In 2018 IDEC Annual Conference Proceedings.

Matheny, R. L., & Bell, E. (2018). Understanding LED’s Color Temperature Preferences
Amongst Millennials and Baby Boomers. In 2018 IDEC Anual Conference Proceedings.

Fields of Study
Major Field: Design
Concentration: Design Research and Developmen t
Specialization: Aging

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Table of Contents

Abstract ........................................................................................................................... i
Dedication ...................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ iv
Vita ................................................................................................................................ vi
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii
List of Figures ................................................................................................................. x
List of Tables ................................................................................................................ xii
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................... 1
Problem Statement ...................................................................................................... 5
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 6
Aim & Scope .............................................................................................................. 6
Research Plan .............................................................................................................. 7
Audience ..................................................................................................................... 7
Definition of Terms ..................................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Literature Review......................................................................................... 10
Design’s Effects on Function ..................................................................................... 10
Changes in Aging. ................................................................................................. 10
Long-Term Care Models. ....................................................................................... 11
Person -Environment Relationship. ......................................................................... 12
Design’s Effects on Emotions .................................................................................... 14
Supportive Design. ................................................................................................ 14
Emotional Connections to Place ............................................................................ 15
Light’s Effects on Health ........................................................................................... 17
Insufficient Light in LTC. ...................................................................................... 17
Light’s Effects on Emotion ........................................................................................ 19
Light, Environment, Behavior, and Preferences .................................................... 19
Light and Mood. .................................................................................................... 21
Literature Review Summary ...................................................................................... 24
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Chapter 3: Methods ....................................................................................................... 26
Methodological Approach ......................................................................................... 26
Research Design ........................................................................................................ 27
Pilot Testing .............................................................................................................. 28
Testing Space Selection ............................................................................................. 28
Research Setting ........................................................................................................ 29
Process ...................................................................................................................... 32
Research Sessions................................................................................................. 32
Light Measurements. ............................................................................................. 34
Photographic Documentation ................................................................................ 34
Subjects ..................................................................................................................... 35
Lighting Conditions................................................................................................... 36
Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 37
Research Sessions................................................................................................. 37
Data Processing ......................................................................................................... 39
Analysis. ............................................................................................................... 39
Chapter 4: Results ......................................................................................................... 40
Quantitative Data ...................................................................................................... 40
Session 1 (2700K CFL lamps) ............................................................................... 40
Session 2 (3000K LED lamps) .............................................................................. 41
Session 3 (4000K LED lamps) .............................................................................. 42
Session 4 (5000K LED lamps). .............................................................................. 43
Qualitative Data ........................................................................................................ 44
Functional theme. .................................................................................................. 44
Distribution of light. .............................................................................................. 45
Feelings. ................................................................................................................ 47
Chapter 5: Discussion ................................................................................................... 49
Quantitative Data ...................................................................................................... 49
Calm – Anxious. .................................................................................................... 49
Safe – At-Risk. ...................................................................................................... 51
Warm – Cool. ........................................................................................................ 52
Too Dark – Too Bright. .......................................................................................... 53
Excessive – Inadequate and Glaring – Non-Glaring. .............................................. 55
Session 3: 4000K LED lamps ................................................................................ 57
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