OBOS

Living Lab

Transforming the deepest corners of the building into an oasis.

Dream it.

As we transition to high density cities, natural light and landscape slowly become a luxury. Can we bring the outdoors inside? Can we have a garden in the middle of our living environment?

Build it.

Our goal was to create a microcosm inside the building. Every material, detail and plant was selected accordingly. INCUBE LIGHTING was responsible for both the lighting and interior design of the garden.

Test it.

We want to create technologies that last and that have positive impact on our users. In the Living lab, we have a research program with tailored scenarios, inquiries and interviews to test our technology. This reinforces our commitment to continuous improvement.

The intention:

Northern regions deal with both: low solar intensity and low solar angles, accentuating health and wellbeing issues such as sleeping problems or even seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Which shows the urge for an artificial lighting system that can potentially backup sunlight deficiency and address health concerns.

The Setting:

OBOS Living Lab is an apartment block located on Vollebekk in Oslo, consisting of six floors and a total of 34 rental apartments. Here, in collaboration with residents, new technological, social, and material solutions will be tested to explore the future of residential spaces.

Thanks to our partnership with OBOS Living Lab, INCUBE LIGHTING's first Light Garden utilizing our technology is currently undergoing testing by the Living Lab community since 2021.

The Innovation:

We created a system that collects, transports and simulates natural light in order to provide healthy levels of natural light all year around in the darkest area of the building, for both humans and plants.

Why is natural light so important for our health and wellbeing?

Can we develop technologies that can allow us to simulate natural light in order to cause the same positive effects?

How can this new technology impact the future of our cities and our communities?

These are some of the questions that we are trying to answer through our collaboration with the Lighting Research Lab at the Barcelona Technical School of Architecture ETSAB

The Light Garden

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The experimental space is called the “Garden” as it intends to increase the natural atmosphere through a group of elements. From the choice of materials, textures, furniture, and plant variety.

The prototype is controlled with mobile applications that can personalize the brightness and set up pre-determined scenes for optimal use.

The light has a carefully planned technology to simulate natural light

Participant’s frequency on the use of the Garden and gender distribuition

Percentage of participants that perceived the impacts of the light

Percentage of people that perceived the light as natural

The Results

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External Recognition


The external validation of our results through the publication of a scientific article in a Q1 magazine, along with presentations at congresses and other media outlets, has been instrumental in fueling our motivation to strive for more impactful outcomes. This recognition not only reinforces the credibility of our research within the scientific community but also emphasizes the broader significance of our work. Currently, at the lab, we remain dedicated to our mission, tirelessly updating our technology and exploring additional parameters to deepen our understanding and contribute further to the advancement of the innovation.


The research revealed a pattern: when participants frequently used the Garden, there was a higher likelihood of perceiving the impacts of the simulated light and perceiving that light as natural. Additionally, this sequence would incentivize users to increase their visits to the garden.


The participants had difficulty differentiating the plants from the general environment.

Additionally, the perception of improvements in parameters such as "Creativity," "Natural Ambiance," and "Well-being" was satisfactory, with scores of 62%, 50%, and 61% respectively.

When participants in the experiment were asked to rate the garden light and experience in regards to the satisfaction, the results showed high scores of 3.67 (out of 5) for the LIGHT and 4.58 (out of 5) for the experience.

Not to mention how the space was among the favorite rooms in the building due to its social aspect that was linked often as a “meeting spot”. Also, when we asked a set of characteristics and feelings that could be associated with the light. Only the positive words scored high, which means the intensity and relation between these words/feelings with the light.

Importance of the Garden

Favorite Room in the Building

User’s feedback

Improvements in Parameters

Social Aspect of the room

“I definitely think this is the favorite place of many neighbors. I feel that we have something that connects us. It´s unique.”


High satisfaction Levels

Characteristics and Feelings assigned to the Light

“It’s easy to come down here and spend 10-20 minutes and you feel both energetic but also relaxed. It is our little luxury.”

“The garden, it really is the heart of the building.”