Looking to Nature to Light Natural Spaces

Probably one of the most overlooked aspects of new development in the past has been the importance of lighting. And not just in terms of private space but also lighting of public spaces, indoors and out.

Not only is lighting important for the overall feeling of safety for the users of public spaces, but it also provides the opportunity to use those spaces more often. Think about it – for half the year here in Canada, we spend 50% or more of our days in low light to dark conditions.

It used to be that non-essential lighting would be restricted for obvious reasons of cost and energy consumption, but with today’s technology we can light areas precisely and cost effectively. Yes, there will still be a cost attached to it, but given the way many people today are budgeting their time, it’s probably become one of those compromise things where they are willing to pay a little extra in order to get something back that is important to them.

Time is precious; it’s our only non-renewable resource, and many people are willing to invest a little in order to free up some of their time to do the things they want to do.

One of the most recent examples of innovative lighting solutions is in the city of Edmonton where officials have decided to adorn downtown trees with tiny LED lights — Christmas lights, if you will — year round in six business revitalization zones. They are linked to photo cells in order to respond to ambient available light.

According to an Edmonton Journal story, the lights serve several purposes — they brighten public spaces; they create a feeling of stewardship among the district’s businesses and users; and they promote a safer environment.

Photo by Shaughn Butts, Edmonton Journal

“It makes a big difference,” Joachim Holtz, executive director of the Alberta Avenue Business Revitalization Zone, told the Journal. “We’ve made a lot of progress on revitalization in the area. The lights brighten the street up and we’ve heard lots of positive feedback.”

The added benefit is that if the city decides to expand the “tree light” project, it might also prove to be more cost effective than the traditional incandescent street lights.

The project is budgeted at less than a quarter million dollars, with local businesses picking up the tab on the power, with the idea that the project will attract more visitors to their district where they are bound to spend more money.

Now, taking a step farther ... what if we had the availability of self-lighting trees to plant in public places such as walking trails or parking areas in residential and/or commercial zones?

A Dutch designer, Daan Roosegaarde, has unveiled a house plant that makes its own light. The idea came to him in examining fireflies and certain jelly fish, both of which make their own light when it’s needed.

Roosegaarde has collaborated with the State University of New York and biotech company Bioglow to grow a plant that combines DNA from glow-in-the-dark marine bacteria with the chloroplast genome of a houseplant.

A video shows an example of a small houseplant that gathers light in the daytime (much in the same way plants gather sunlight in order to live) and then radiates light at night. Roosegaarde says the partners are working on a tree, but naturally, trees take a long time to mature, so it may be several decades in the future before the experiment can be validated.

His was not the only idea to come to light (if you’ll pardon the pun). A “Glowing Plant Project” out of San Francisco met its funding goal on Kickstarter and has begun research into creating sustainable plant lighting.

Again, the results will likely take decades to come to fruition but it still makes you dream about a future of naturally lit spaces.

Would you want a glowing tree out front of your new home?

Feature image via Dezeen.com