2024 - sun protection in an urban
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Hug of Light:
Healing for People Suffering from SAD in Polar Night
Site with Polar Night
Polar night is a natural phenomenon caused by the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Residents living within the Arctic Circle often have to endure long night that last for months.
In Norway, 35% of the land is located north of the Arctic Circle, where it is covered with ice and snow all year round. There is a three-month polar night every winter. During these months the sun does not rise above the horizon, and even at midday only a faint light can be seen in the sky.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
People who live in such low-light environments for long periods of time often suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a common but imperceptible mental illness.
This disorder often causes lethargy, weariness, anxiety, and distraction. Previous research has found a obvious connection between SAD and the level of sunlight exposure. People living in areas with polar nights, such as Norwegians, are more likely to suffer from SAD due to insufficient light.
Concept
Clinical trials have verified that compared with antidepressant drug treatment alone, phototherapy combined with drug treatment can quickly improve depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with depression, shorten the duration of depression treatment, and has good safety.
In order to alleviate the Norwegian SAD, artificial simulation of daylight environment is a feasible approach.
Simulating the original daylight conditions in park forests may be the best solution. Combining visual and body feelings can provide a comfortable environment for depressed people and improve their emotional state.
Technical Support
By controlling parameters such as intensity of light, color of light, and ambient temperature, the artificial light environment can make people feel the feeling of sunlight.
The sunlight installations can be hidden among the trees so that People’s attention will be diverted to the daylight environment itself. The warm environment leaves the area snowless and lush with vegetation. The water mist produced by the transpiration of vegetation enhances visibility of light. At the same time, the circular terrain can provide people with safety feeling.
Scene design
Sunbathing places set up in the woods of city parks can provide Norwegians with a light environment by simulating the sunlight environment, thereby alleviating their symptoms.
several light beams are placed near the path among the trees so that people can see them while walking. The light is cut by the branches and leaves to form fine and natural shapes, which conforms to the usual sunlight conditions in the forest.
Details design
The light is set up in the surrounding environment of local trees and shrubs, equipped circular terrain, seating facilities and soft floor paving.
In the dark environment inside the city park Among the snow-covered forest, beams of light shine down from the trees, Casts a warm and holy circular light. Depressed people walk into the light, Enjoy the same Brightness, Warmth, Safety and Comfort As if they were under the sun.