Are Røysamb

Area of interests:
Lighting Design - Urban Lighting Design - ULD

I am a PhD candidate researching analytical and design methods for urban lighting design through conceptual and perceptual approaches to the development of active and meaningful night-urban places for people.

The project investigates how light and lighting design influence human interpretation and experience of urban environments, with particular focus on perceived safety, atmosphere and orientation, in nighttime urban settings. The research draws upon theories and models from environmental psychology, perceptual studies, and urban design to understand how people read, interpret, and respond to the urban landscape under different lighting conditions.

A central part of the research is the investigation of relationships between lighting interventions, spatial qualities, and individual perceptual responses. Through experimental studies and statistical modelling, the project analyses how different lighting conditions influence perceived safety across urban scenes, and to what extent such experiences are related to the place itself or to individual processes of interpretation and perception.

The project applies mixed methods and quantitative analytical models to examine how variations in perceived safety may be understood as interactions between physical environments, lighting conditions, and human perception.

The research will further investigate the use of eye tracking and visual attention patterns as proxies for perceived safety and perceptual orientation in nocturnal urban spaces. The aim is to develop new knowledge about how visual attention, spatial legibility, and lighting design influence human experiences of the city at night.

Teaching areas:

• Lighting Design Tools
• Design- and Concept Methodology
• Urban Lighting Design
• Bachelor Projects