Danny Aitken has designed a ceiling light fixture inspired by the natural and green light that of forest canopies and the porous fractal patterns of Favolaschia Pustolosa or the ‘White pore fungus’. Aitken’s ceiling light fixture uses translucent New Zealand kaolin porcelain to create glowing fungal lobes with a porous fractal underside. Their application is intended for large private homes and atriums of public spaces such as hospitals, libraries, and airports where the biomorphic design can reduce stress levels of users.
Urban environments often lack natural form, causing widespread mental degradation to those living and working in them, simply due to our exposure to natural stimuli being lower within brutalist consumerist environments. This contrasts with areas with more natural stimuli.
Exploring the source of why this stimulus is beneficial to us was the heart of this project and led Aitken to understand how all-natural form follows set fractal algorithms. Natural light interacts with plants, trees, and fungi to create visually stimulating effects that access our innate biophilic desires and feed our subconscious minds.