LIGHT THROUGH NATURE'S EYES

Light is not merely a technical element, it is a living, sensory material that shapes our experiences. In nature, light drives growth, movement, rhythm, and behavior. In design, it has the power to influence how we feel, connect, and inhabit spaces. As a designer working at the intersection of biomimicry and biophilic design, I approach light not just as illumination, but as an ecosystem of interaction and inspiration.

Biomimicry invites us to observe how life has evolved to use and manipulate light. Reading The Optics of Life by Sönke Johnsen opened my eyes to how light behaves in natural systems, from its physical properties to its biological significance. It reinforced the idea that nature is not only beautiful but profoundly functional in its use of light. This insight now informs much of my creative process.

One project I’m working on is structural color; a phenomenon where vibrant hues arise not from pigments, but from microscopic structures that refract or reflect light. Found in butterfly wings, beetle shells, and bird feathers, these nano-patterns create shimmering, color-shifting effects. Inspired by this, I’ve begun a collaboration with Hoekmine B.V., who work with structural color bacteria found in nature. These bacteria produce vivid, angle-dependent colors using nanostructures rather than dyes. I am exploring the potential to integrate these living systems into materials and products, which opens the door to more sustainable, toxin-free color in product and interior design, color that is dynamic, biodegradable, and deeply alive. Nature’s brilliance doesn’t stop at color. Fish scales, particularly in open-water species, offer another light manipulation strategy. Their reflective layers scatter light omnidirectionally, helping them remain nearly invisible as they swim. These angle-independent reflectors offer exciting insights for responsive surfaces that adjust to light conditions throughout the day, inviting new approaches to adaptive lighting in architecture and product design. This is something I investigated in the research project Microscopic Imitations

Heliodiscus, is a modular light installation inspired by radiolarians—single-celled plankton with intricate, silica skeletons. These organisms use radial symmetry and thin, porous shells to scatter light in the ocean. Through Mie scattering, their glassy forms produce glowing, diffused light. Heliodiscus brings this effect indoors, casting organic patterns that reconnect us with nature’s microscopic geometry. It’s a celebration of radial form, light diffusion, and the poetry of ocean life.

Another example is the Bone Light, a pendant lamp inspired by trabecular bone structures and 3D printed from recycled lime stone or sand. Bones grow in response to pressure and light, forming intricate internal lattices. Mimicking this structure, the lamp distributes light softly, creating dappled shadows reminiscent of sunlight filtering through leaves, what the Japanese beautifully call komorebi.

Why biomimicry in lighting does matter? Because modern lighting often flattens our experience. It’s static, harsh, and disconnected from our natural rhythms. Yet our bodies are tuned to the subtle variations of daylight; warm sunrises, bright middays, gentle dusks. By reintroducing these cues into our built environments, we support well-being, circadian health, and emotional connection.

To design light with nature as guide is to design for presence. It is a way of seeing, not only through our eyes, but through our senses, emotions, and instincts. Light, shaped by nature’s intelligence, invites us to feel alive.

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