China

The Power of Light: From Research to Design for Well-Being

Join us for an inspiring evening at the crossroads of science, design, and innovation to reimagine the role of light in our lives.

Light is a fundamental force that sustains life on Earth, influencing everything from ecosystems to human physiology. The natural cycle of light and dark, dictated by the planet’s rotation, has shaped circadian rhythms—internal biological clocks that help organisms synchronize their behaviors and bodily functions with the time of day. For humans, exposure to natural light, particularly in terms of its intensity, timing, spectral composition, and direction, plays a critical role in regulating sleep, enhancing mood, strengthening immunity, and maintaining overall health. This intricate relationship between light and human neurophysiology underscores its profound impact on our daily lives and health.

In this context, DIIS and Swissnex in China are delighted to invite you to “The Power of Light: From Research to Design for Well-Being” on the evening of January 7th. This engaging event will feature a lecture by Prof. Marilyne Andersen, a world-renowned expert in daylighting, the founder and head of the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID) at EPFL. She will be joined by Wessel Deurwaarder, Head of the Signify China Design Team, a leading figure in lighting design and innovation.

Work from Prof. Marilyne Andersen.

The evening will begin with Prof. Andersen’s lecture, “On the dynamics of light hygiene and indoor lifestyles,” which explores different research directions looking at the impact of the architectural and urban environment we live in on our daily light exposure and, by extension, on our well-being and health. In doing so, it aims to highlight the challenge of reconciling the multiple dimensions of daylighting performance in the design context, and the opportunity of using research outcomes to build a well-informed, evidence-based dialogue between specialists and practitioners.

This will be followed by a moderated dialogue between Prof. Andersen and Wessel Deurwaarder, exploring the intersection of scientific research and practical design. Together, they will discuss the opportunities and challenges of creating sustainable environments that prioritize human well-being through the thoughtful integration of light.

Program

18:30-19:00       Registration

19:00-19:10        Welcome Speech 

  • Prof. Srini Srinivasan, Chief Operating Officer, DIIS
  • Philippe Roesle, CEO, Swissnex in China I Consul

19:10-19:40        Lecture: On the dynamics of light hygiene and indoor lifestyles

  • Prof. Marilyne Andersen, Founder and Head of the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID), EPFL

19:40-20:10       Dialogue with Wessel Deurwaarder

  • Wessel Deurwaarder, Head of Design for China, Signify
  • Moderator: Jie Zhang, Director, Strategy, Development & Incubation, DIIS

20:10-20:30      Q&A

20:30-21:00      Networking

Speakers

  •

    Bio

    Prof. Marilyne Andersen

    Founder and Head of the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID), EPFL

    Professor Marilyne Andersen is a Full Professor of Sustainable Construction Technologies at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and the founder and head of the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID). She served as the Dean of the School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC) at EPFL and was the Academic Director of the Smart Living Lab in Fribourg. Prior to joining EPFL, Professor Andersen was an Assistant and then Associate Professor in the Building Technology Group at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, where she also established the MIT Daylighting Lab. Her research focuses on the impact of daylight on building occupants, including comfort, perception, health, and energy considerations. She has published over 200 papers, received numerous honors including the Daylight Award for Research (as the inaugural laureate in 2016), and co-founded OCULIGHT dynamics, offering specialized consulting on daylight performance. Professor Andersen also co-curated the 2023 EPFL exhibition “Lighten Up! On Biology and Time” at the intersection of art and chronobiology.

  •

    Bio

    Wessel Deurwaarder

    Head of the Signify China Design Team

    Wessel Deurwaarder heads the Signify China design team, managing all design activities in greater China and growth markets. He graduated with a master’s in Industrial Design Engineering from Delft University in the Netherlands in 2005. Wessel began his career as a product designer at VanBerlo Design Agency, which was later acquired by Accenture. In 2015, he moved to Istanbul to work for the in-house design team of Arçelik A.Ş., a multinational manufacturer of household appliances under the brands Grundig, Whirlpool and Beko. In 2019, he joined Signify’s Netherlands design team and led the product design team for the connected lighting brand Philips Hue. He later transferred to Shanghai in 2024.

     

    Wessel’s passion for design has earned him more than 20 international design awards, which now enable him to bring his expertise to his current role where he guides the direction of lighting design for China.

Partners

  • DIIS