Text by: Tuula Jyske and Reetta Nakari
We are all too familiar with either the stress and exhaustion emerging from cognitive demands of modern life. Research shows that nature exposure, especially forests, can significantly enhance our wellbeing, allowing us to forget daily worries and feel revitalized.
Light as an element has been proven crucial in restorative experience, influencing our psychological recovery. Our research project, 4Light, aims to harness the power of light to bring the calming effects of the forest indoors. By integrating forest photonics, lighting technology, and artistic exploration, we seek to create virtual forest light experiences that promote recovery in public spaces.
Located in the picturesque Southern Savonia region, Punkaharju area, our project will utilize diverse forest settings and advanced facilities to study how different lighting scenarios can enhance our sense of revitalization. We aim to answer questions like: How do various lighting environments affect our experience of nature? Can we replicate the soothing effects of natural light indoors? In summer 2026, these aspects will be studied in the forests of Punkaharju and Lusto - The Finnish Forest Museum.
Photo by: Veikko Somerpuro
To facilitate the forthcoming research in the South Savonia, a cross-cultural pre-study was carried out in Viikki campus and in Taipei, Taiwan, in autumn 2025 by using VR glasses. The pre-study provided information on preferred forest photos. That information was further utilized when conducting another controlled pre-study in Viikki, where research participants visited windowless meeting room altered with forest photos and natural lighting four times. "During the visits, participants performed cognitively challenging tests and evaluated their perceived stage of restoration before and after the visit", explains Reetta Nakari. Preliminary analysis shows that both natural lighting and forest pictures by themselves lowered the stress compared to room without alteration. "We also discovered that when pictures were combined with natural lightning, the most impactful restoration was achieved", summarizes Reetta.
The 4Light project is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation, South Savo. Within this initiative, Reetta Nakari is conducting her doctoral research on restorative effect of nature-based elements in built environments, while postdoctoral researchers Steffen Grebe and Long Xie, along with artists Yu-Hsuan Yao and Andrew Walker, and IT expert Sasa Tkalcan, contribute their expertise. The work is guided by Tuula Jyske and Albert Porcar-Castell. We look forward to uncovering how the magic of forest light can illuminate our lives.