HEAVN: In harmony with the body clock

As I write this, with all the lights at my disposal switched on and the wind whipping the rain incessantly onto the roof of my studio, I can imagine few things better than taking off for sunnier climes to escape the winter blues. David grosse Austing, however, presents a more efficient solution than that of sitting on a plane for hours to find some winter warmth, namely a lighting concept that, on top of everything else, pays tribute to the hormonally controlled well-being of human beings. When it comes to light, the concept of 'the more the better' doesn't always apply. What matters is both the right light spectrum and the right timing. Static artificial light can therefore send unnatural signals to our brain at different times of the day, making us tired and disturbing our biorhythms. Sure, tell me about it!

Through his studies at the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) and his work at the Lighting Technology Institute, Austing has gained many years of experience in lighting research. He has been involved in several industrial projects with vehicle and luminaire manufacturers. In 2016, he decided to develop a lighting system based on new findings from research that demonstrate the positive influences that the biological sleep-wake rhythms of the human body have on our circadian clock. The founder of Munich-based HEAVN recommends a kind of sunlight for interiors – minus the UV radiation, but including dynamic colour components that mimic the light over the course of the day.

An umbrella term already exists: Human Centric Lighting is the name of the principle in which artificial light is oriented to people's health, well-being and performance. ‘But there has never been anything like HEAVN before,’ says Austing. The design process, the creation of the brand, the establishment of the manufacturing and distribution structure, but above all the technical development based on scientific findings took three years.

In 2019, HEAVN launched its first table lamp, HEAVN One. This consists of a base with a slender vertical rod on which a horizontal cylinder rests. The latter radiates the light downwards to the table, upwards and forwards. 500 individual LEDs of four different type produce flicker- and glare-free light within the light fitting. At up to 10,000 lux, its biological effect corresponds roughly to the light intensity experienced outside on an average cloudy day.

Software automatically controls the composition of the light so that it contains more blue colour components in the morning and more red ones in the afternoon. And the luminosity and direction of the light also change through the course of the day. In this way, the body can better break down the sleep hormone, melatonin, in the morning and so also release a higher level of serotonin, the happiness hormone. This counteracts tiredness, lack of concentration and listlessness. As the day progresses, the light becomes warmer. This helps the body to relax at the end of the day and prepares it for a healthy sleep.

‘The HEAVN One thus supports a stable biorhythm that is in harmony with the body clock,’ explains Austing. And those who want to interrupt the process by prolonging the productive part of the day or want an extra boost of encouragement will find a practical button with a lightning symbol on the lamp for this very purpose. When this button is pressed, the lamp emits light with mainly blue wavelengths for one hour. The effect can be compared to the caffeine kick of a good espresso. Once an hour has passed, the light automatically switches back to its natural mode, which depends on the time of day.

This is where HEAVN's real strength becomes apparent, namely in the software that enables this dynamic possible in the first place. Only really when users intervene themselves to change the settings can a change in the light be consciously perceived, whereas the adaptive change in light during the day is more imperceptible. For individual fine-tuning, HEAVN has also developed an app for controlling the luminaires as well as having the ability to make changes via the control buttons.

In addition to HEAVN One, the company also offers HEAVN Pure, a pendant luminaire that emits direct and indirect light and is equipped with intuitive gesture control. Furthermore, HEAVN has currently expanded its programme with a wall luminaire and a floor luminaire as well as a light pedestal.

In the project area, HEAVN also offers customised solutions. That the company not only develops its products in Munich, but also produces them there means it can react accordingly at short notice. Apart from certain electronic components, all components are manufactured and assembled at the location south of the Bavarian metropolis – ‘even the circuit boards with the electronics on them’, as Austing emphasises. The company's success can be seen from its client list which includes a large sporting goods manufacturer whose executive offices HEAVN recently furnished, while one of the top five management consultancies also relies on the HEAVN principle, increasing vitality levels during the day and contributing to a restful sleep at night.

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