On November 8, Philips and Parsons The New School for Design will bring together architects, lighting designers and researchers for a symposium on the dualistic relationship between natural light and the latest electric lighting technologies, and the influence these systems have on human well being. The event is part of Luminous Talks, a programming series now in its second year, which was developed by Philips and Parsons to inspire dialogue around relevant topics in the field. This year’s theme, Nature and Man-Made, builds on last year’s focus on human health and well being to consider the human presence amidst these forces and their psychological and physiological impact.

The November 8 event will feature presentations by:

• George Craford, a research scientist and lighting fellow at Philips, whose work focuses on LED technology, who will discuss the history, evolution and future trends of LED technology the design possibilities they enable for architects and lighting designers.
• Raymond van Ee, a principal researcher at Philips and an expert on how the brain processes sensory signals will discuss how designers can create dynamic electric lighting systems that optimize human behavior;
• Davidson Norris, an architect who investigates how natural light affects the function, aesthetics and perception of three-dimensional space, who will draw from examples of his work to explore the role of applied science, materials research and poetics in the design of light-driven space, experience and perception.
• Noah Yaffe, a partner with Steven Holl Architects, a firm known for their sensitive use of light as an integral design element, will explore the deep richness of this sensory experience. In the firm’s work, considerations of time, diurnal transitions, color, spatial sequencing and human perception interplay with other social, formal and material relationships.

Following the presentations, there will be a panel discussion with all the speakers, moderated by Matthew Cobham of Philips Lighting and Derek Porter, Director of the MFA Lighting Design program at Parsons The New School for Design and principal of Derek Porter Studio.

The event is free and open to the public, although advance registration is recommended. To learn more about the event, and upcoming webinars on the latest research in the field, please visit the Philips Lighting University website.