Embracing Innovation in Office Lighting
August 6th, 2025
A recent Wall Street Journal article (“Offices Ditch Harsh Fluorescent Lights. New Tech is on the Way.”) casts a bright spotlight on a trend we’ve seen gaining momentum across our projects: lighting that prioritizes people, not just visibility.
Gone are the days of default fluorescents. Today’s most forward-thinking institutions are turning to circadian lighting, virtual skylights, and tunable systems that respond to time of day and task, all in service of creating healthier, more adaptive work environments.
It’s a shift that aligns closely with what many of our clients have already prioritized: investing in lighting strategies that support comfort, focus, and long-term wellbeing.
“It’s all about giving employees more control over their space,” says one workplace designer quoted in the article.
The article explores a range of new lighting approaches, including:
- Circadian lighting systems that sync with the body’s internal clock, offering warm tones in the morning, cooler midday light, and soft evening transitions.
- Faux skylights that use ultra-thin LED panels and digital projections to mimic a natural sky, complete with shifting cloud cover, sunrise, and sunset.
- Task-based lighting controls that allow employees to tailor the environment to their needs, improving satisfaction and productivity in the process.
At Halyard, we’ve supported projects where lighting design is not an afterthought. It’s part of a broader strategy to enhance workplace performance. From high-performance labs to healthcare offices and institutional campuses, we know these solutions don’t just look good on paper. They improve how spaces function in the real world.
The big takeaway? Lighting isn’t just a design detail—it’s a tool for health, culture, and connection.
