Friday, 29 May 2026
from 11:00 – 12:30
Leads
Prof. Yvonne de Kort, Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands
Dr Mandana Khanie, University College London, UK
Dr Martine Knoop, TU Berlin, Germany
Description
Almost half of the solar radiation that reaches Earth lies in the infrared. Its presence in daylight varies with latitude, time of day and year, and weather conditions. Uniquely, near infrared (NIR) range (750–1100 nm) can pass not only through clothing but also penetrate up to a few centimetres into human tissue, where it may affect cellular metabolism and support beneficial health processes. Recent developments highlight promising clinical applications of NIR—from wound healing and skin rejuvenation to treatments for depression, cardiovascular conditions, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Although the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, it is increasingly important to characterize personal exposure to NIR in both indoor and outdoor environments, and to explore potential relationships between everyday exposure (or its absence) and health outcomes. Notably, most modern artificial light sources emit no radiation outside the visible spectrum, and many buildings now use NIR‑blocking coatings to improve energy performance. A major barrier to advancing research on daylight’s potential health effects via NIR is the calibration and comparability of dosimeters.
The workshop begins with a short introduction to NIR, its measurement, and an overview of the planned activities, after which we will conduct measurements with a variety of devices, both indoors and outdoors. Indoors, we will examine artificial NIR sources using a flexible testbed that allows participants to place their instruments and expose them to several NIR sources under semi‑controlled conditions. Time permitting, this setup will also allow measurements through selected glazing and fabric samples.
We will then move outdoors to perform joint measurements across different spatial contexts. This will allow us to explore how personal NIR exposure changes when moving from indoor environments to transitional zones and fully outdoor settings, from direct sunlight into shade, and between different shading conditions. Outdoors, we will compare the shade cast by built structures with that of tree canopies and vegetation, which are reported to reflect rather than absorb NIR.
We hope for broad participation from DLA members and look forward to hands‑on measurements and lively discussions. Everyone is encouraged—where possible—to bring any devices they have for generating or measuring infrared radiation. After the workshop, collected data will be cross‑validated and shared among participants.
Objectives