WHAT IS LIGHTING?

•  human sensation
•  Electromagnetic Radiation.
•  It falls on the retina of the eye creating visuals.
•  It is a combination of radiation and our response to it.
UNITS OF LIGHT-FOUR UNITS

• Luminous Flux-The light emitted by a source or received by a surface.

Lumen(lm)

• Luminous Intensity-The quantity which describes the power of a source

to emit light . Candela.

• Illuminance-The luminous flux density at a point on a surface. I.e. per

unit area. Lux = Lumen per square metre.(1 foot candle=10 lux)

• Luminance: The intensity of light emitted in a given direction per

projected area of a luminous surface. Candela per square metre
TYPES OF LIGHTING

Task lighting is mainly functional. Task lighting is mainly functional and

is usually the most concentrated, for purposes such as reading or
inspection of materials. For example, reading poor-quality reproductions
may require task lighting levels up to 1500 lux (150 footcandles), and
some inspection tasks or surgical procedures require even higher levels

Accent lighting is mainly decorative, and intended to highlight pictures,

plants or other elements of interior design or landscaping.

General lighting bridges the gap between task and accent lighting and
is intended for general illumination of an area. Indoors, this would be a
basic lamp on a table or floor of a ceiling fixture.
ANGLE OF LIGHTING

Down lighting
This common method of lighting with fixtures on the ceiling casting light
downwards tends to be the most efficient. The 1 watt/square foot rule
works best with this type of lighting. With a good reflector, this type of
lighting makes for maximum efficiency.
Up lighting
Though less efficient than direct lighting, it is common in offices where
contrasting dark and bright spaces are undesirable. Often achieved by
bouncing light off a ceiling. It can also be effectively used for drama{c
effect with indoor and outdoor plants or across textured surfaces of brick
or stone.
Front lighting
Front lighting is used to highlight artwork on the walls or artifacts. Tracks
on the ceiling or spotlights help in achieving this lighting. This type of
lighting tends to make the subject look flat as its casts almost no
shadow.
Backlighting
Backlighting either around or through an object is mainly for accent.
TYPES OF FIXTURE

• Incandescent and halogen bulbs

• Fluorescent tubes

• High Intensity Discharge (HID)

• LED lamps
FORMS OF LIGHTING

Indoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting
Indoor Lighting

• Forms of lighting include alcove lighting, which like most other up

lighting is indirect. This is often done with fluorescent lighting or rope
light, or occasionally with neon lighting. It is a form of backlighting.

• Soffit or close to wall lighting can be general or a decorative wall-

wash, sometimes used to bring out texture (like stucco or plaster) on a
wall, though this may also show its defects as well. The effect depends
heavily on the exact type of lighting source used.

• Recessed lighting (often called "pot lights" in Canada, "can lights" or

'high hats" in the U.S.) is popular, with fixtures mounted into the ceiling
structure so as to appear flush with it. These down lights can use narrow
beam spotlights, or wider-angle floodlights, both of which are bulbs
having their own reflectors. There are also down lights with internal
reflectors designed to accept common 'A' lamps (light bulbs) which are
generally less costly than reflector lamps. Down lights can be
incandescent, fluorescent, HID (high intensity discharge) or LED.
• Track lighting, invented by Lightolier, was popular at one point
because it was much easier to install than recessed lighting, and
individual fixtures are decorative and can be easily aimed at a wall. It has
regained some popularity recently in low-voltage tracks, which often look
nothing like their predecessors because they do not have the safety
issues that line-voltage systems have, and are therefore less bulky and
more ornamental in them. A master transformer feeds all of the fixtures
on the track or rod with 12 or 24 volts, instead of each light fixture having
its own line-to-low voltage transformer. There are traditional spots and
floods, as well as other small hanging fixtures. A modified version of this
is cable lighting, where lights are hung from or clipped to bare metal
cables under tension.

• A sconce is a wall-mounted fixture, particularly one that shines up and

sometimes down as well. A torchiere is an up light intended for ambient
lighting. It is typically a floor lamp but may be wall-mounted like a
sconce.
• The portable or table lamp is probably the most common fixture, found
in many homes and offices. The standard lamp and shade that sits on a
table is general lighting, while the desk lamp is considered task lighting.
Magnifier lamps are also task lighting.

• The illuminated ceiling was once popular in the 1960s and 1970s but
fell out of favor after the 1980s. This uses diffuser panels hung like a
suspended ceiling below fluorescent lights, and is considered general
lighting. Other forms include neon, which is not usually intended to
illuminate anything else, but to actually be an artwork in itself. This would
probably fall under accent lighting, though in a dark nightclub it could be
considered general lighting.

• In a movie theater each step in the aisles is usually marked with a row
of small lights, for convenience and safety when the film has started,
hence the other lights are off. Traditionally made up of small low wattage,
low voltage lamps in a track or translucent tube; these are rapidly being
replaced with LED based versions.
Outdoor lighting

• Street Lights are used to light roadways and walkways at night. Some
manufacturers are designing LED and photovoltaic luminaries to provide
an energy-efficient alternative to traditional street light fixtures
• Floodlights are used to illuminate outdoor playing fields or work zones
during nighttime. The most common type of floodlights is metal halide
and high pressure sodium lights.
• Beacon lights are positioned at the intersection of two roads to aid in
navigation.
• Security lights can be used along roadways in urban areas, or behind
homes or commercial facilities. These are extremely bright lights used to
deter crime. Security lights may include floodlights.
• Entry lights can be used outside to illuminate and signal the entrance
to a property .These lights are installed for safety, security, and for
decoration.
• Underwater accent lighting is also used for ponds, fountains,
swimming pools and the like.
SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
A spectral energy distribution (SED) is a plot of brightness or flux density
versus frequency or wavelength of light. It is used in many branches of
astronomy to characterize astronomical sources. Eg) Radio astronomy,
Infrared astronomy

LUMINOUS EFFICIENCY
Luminous efficacy is a figure of merit for light sources. It is the ratio of
luminous flux to power. The overall luminous efficacy of a source is the
product of how well it converts energy to electromagnetic radiation, and
how well the emitted radiation is detected by the human eye.
COLOUR TEMPERATURE
Colour temperature is a characteristic of visible light that has important
applications in lighting, photography, videography, publishing,
manufacturing, astrophysics, and other fields. The color temperature of a
light source is the temperature of an ideal black-body radiator that
radiates light of comparable hue (A color described as blue or red-
orange is known as hue) to that of the light source.
Color temperature is conventionally stated in the unit of absolute
temperature, the Kelvin, having the unit symbol K.
Color temperatures over 5,000K are called cool colors (bluish white),
while lower color temperatures (2,700–3,000 K) are called warm colors
(yellowish white through red).

COLOUR RENDERING
Effect of an illuminant on the color appearance of objects by conscious
or subconscious comparison with their color appearance under a
reference illuminant. The color rendering index (CRI) (sometimes called
color rendition index), is a quantitative measure of the ability of a light
source to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully in comparison
with an ideal or natural light source.
UGR
UGR- The UGR method (Unified Glare Rating) is an international index
presented by CIE in publication 117 and is used to evaluate and limit the
psychological direct glare from luminaries. Contrary to previous methods
where the glare was rated using the luminance values of a single
luminaries, this method calculates the glare of the entire lighting
installation at a defined observer position.
The UGR reference value is provided for a standard room. An exact
calculation of the UGR value at a defined observer position in a room is
possible with modern lighting design programs. The lower the UGR
value, the lower the glare.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHTING

Function
Mood lighting
Harmony
Intensity
Colour
Fixture Placement and Location
In small projects, placement can proceed on a case-by-case basis.
Lights for special purposes, such as reading and dining, and lights to
give general illumination can be placed according to local needs.

Calculating Placement and Location

More complex projects use formulas to determine placement and
location. It is possible to calculate the level of illumination that a
proposed installation of light fixtures of a known type and spacing will
give. The same formulas can, in reverse, suggest the number and
spacing of fixtures needed to produce a desired level of illumination. The
relationship basic to all such calculations is:

Illumination (in footcandles) =

The approximate lumen output of various lamp types is given below:
TYPE OF LAMP LUMENS PER WATT OUTPUT
Incandescent 20
Mercury 50
Fluorescent 80
HID 85

For example, to arrive at 60 footcandles throughout an area of 6,000

square feet with fluorescent light:

60 footcandles =
or

60 =

giving
04,500 = wattage required
Switches
• switches at individual fixtures
• multiple switches for a single fixture
• switching from remote locations or central panels
• switching controlled by clock or light sensors.
• Switching controlled by sound- or heat-sensitive proximity switches
turns lighting on when people are present and off when people leave.

Dimmers
Dimmers, a further modification of switching, permit a range of light
levels from very low up to the maximum available, and provide them in a
smooth transition. When incandescent lights are dimmed, they become
warmer in color. This effect of coziness is favored in residential spaces
and in dining areas generally. Automatic dimmers can alter light levels
gradually, in response to time, outside light levels, or an arbitrary
program.
LIGHTING NEEDS
1.The typical tasks that call for special light are :
• Reading
• Writing
• Sewing
• Drafting
• Food preparation and cooking
• Eating
• Dressing
• Washing, shaving, and makeup
plus any number of special tasks that may arise in a particular home
environment (music practice, for example), in workplaces such as offices,
factories, and hospitals, or in such special-purpose interiors as theaters,
museums, galleries, gymnasiums, or pools.
2. general lighting, which provides a comfortable level of light for finding one’s -
way around a space, locating objects, and seeing people and objects. This
general or background lighting, often called ambient light, should be strong
enough to avoid excessive brightness contrast between it and bright task
lighting.
3. Special lighting focuses attention on specific objects or areas and generates
variety and contrast to make a space lively and interesting, even to add aesthetic
impact.
DESIGN PROCESS

1.  Planning Lighting

2.  Define the general aims in terms of character and atmosphere.

3.  Consider the specific purposes for which lighting is required.

4.  Ascertain the intensity levels for proper vision and balance these against
energy and first-installation costs and other factors to decide on lighting type

5.  Select fixtures based on general aims and specific needs.

6.  Place fixtures.

DESIGN PROCESS

1.  Planning Lighting

2.  Define the general aims in terms of character and atmosphere.

3.  Consider the specific purposes for which lighting is required.

4.  Ascertain the intensity levels for proper vision and balance these against
energy and first-installation costs and other factors to decide on lighting type

5.  Select fixtures based on general aims and specific needs.

6.  Place fixtures.

HUMAN EYE - STEREO VISION

Humans, like other hunting animals, have eyes

that are mounted close together on the front of the
head, giving a focused, forward-looking view.

large horizontal overlap of around 120 degrees out

of a field of view of around 180 degrees gives us
acute vision in this main portion of what we can
see.

The overlapping field of view combined with the

spacing between our eyes means our brains
receive two slightly different views of a scene,
each one offset by the distance between our eyes.
Our brain combines the information from the two
images and gives us stereo vision—the capacity to
accurately estimate the three dimensional location
of an object just by looking at it.

Ref: Lighting for Interior Design

By Malcolm Innes
LEFT EYE RIGHT EYE
HUMAN EYE - MOTION DETECTION

Even our most acute vision uses receptors that are

simple on/off light detectors. Some of these fire
only if a light is switched on; some fire only if a
light is switched off; others are triggered by a light
going on or off. None of them fires with a static
state.

The receptors are all registering change, and

whether this is caused by movement or by lights
being switched on and off, the result is still a
variation in the amount of light received by the
receptor. This is the essence of our vision: it
senses change, not stasis.

If we could gaze on an unchanging scene without

moving our eyes, the scene would begin to fade
and we would be unable to “see” what was in front
of us.

Ref: Lighting for Interior Design

By Malcolm Innes
HUMAN EYE – VISUAL NOISE

Human visual receptors are sensitive instruments: the smallest quantity of light energy, a
single photon, is enough to trigger it. But, however sensitive these systems are, they can
only detect differences in signals that are above the background level.

Unfortunately, even in absolute darkness, there is a small amount of random, accidental

firing of receptors. This is described as “noise”; the signal to noise ratio defines the
threshold of sensitivity for any sensing system.

In conditions of very, very low light, our visual system looks for corroboration of the
signal by waiting until it receives, in a very short space of time, more triggers from the
same receptor or from its neighbours. Only then will the signal be classed as valid and
will we be able to “see” it.
Ref: Lighting for Interior Design
By Malcolm Innes
Ref: Lighting for Interior Design
By Malcolm Innes
HUMAN EYE – LOW LIGHT SENSITIVITY

The human visual system has a strategy for dealing with the different energy levels of
daylight and night time. Color vision requires a lot of resources in terms of receptors and
processing, and it also needs a great deal of light energy. When there is a lot of light
around, and the system is not overly burdened by the need to filter random noise, color
vision is a luxury worth having. At night or in low light levels, it is abandoned in favor of
very sensitive monochrome vision. The cone receptors, used in high light levels to
provide us with color vision, are abandoned in favor of the much more sensitive rod
receptors, which provide us with levels of light and shade. A similar effect is available in
some digital video cameras where, in very low light levels, you can switch to “night shot”
mode, which produces a much brighter image at the expense of the color information.
HUMAN EYE – EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN LIGHT LEVELS

In our built environment there are many times when Weak Stimulus
we encounter rapid changes in the general light
ON OFF
level. Moving indoors from the bright sunlight of an
outdoor space can leave our eyes struggling to
decipher the interior because of the huge drop in
relative light levels. The more time we spend in this Response
space, the better adjusted (adapted) we become to
its range of light levels.
Strong Stimulus
But if we move from what appeared to be a gloomy
interior space when we first entered it at midday to a ON OFF
dark night time scene, we could once again struggle
initially with the change in light.
Response
The difference in illuminance between the sunlit
outdoors and the interior space may be something Optic nerve receptors are stimulated by visible
like 54,000 lux outdoors to 538 lux for a (well-lit) light. The receptors produce a response that is
related to the intensity of the stimulus. With a
interior—a change of some 53,460 lux. weak stimulus, such as a dim light source
being switched on and off, the receptors fire
repeatedly for the duration of the stimulus. With
Moving from this interior into a night scene
a strong stimulus, such as a bright light, the
illuminated only by street lights may be a move receptors fire more frequently —not more
between 538 lux and 5.4 lux - a change of only 532 strongly. The visual system can estimate the
relative strength of any stimulus by the
lux. frequency of receptor signals.
 EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN LIGHT LEVELS

On paper, the disparity between a 43,000-lux change and

430-lux change suggests we will have different levels of
difficulty in adapting to the changes.

The rate at which our visual receptors are triggered is a

roughly logarithmic response to the light intensity.

So, if you wish an object currently illuminated to 108 lux to

appear to be twice as bright, you need to increase the light,
not by a factor of 2 (215 lux), but by a factor of 10 (to 1,080
lux).

It is very important to remember this when you are trying to

control light for interior spaces, as significant changes in
visual brightness require much larger differences in intensity
than you may otherwise expect.

A single dim light source added to a sunlit room may make

no noticeable difference to the total illumination. However, if
the same dim light source is added to a windowless room
that contains only one other, dim, light source it can make a
very noticeable difference.
HUMAN EYE – EXPERIENCING CHANGES IN LIGHT LEVELS

The optic nerve receptors do not have a simple 1:1 relationship between the strength
of the stimulus and frequency of firing. Instead, the rate of firing has an approximately
logarithmic relationship with the stimulus. It will take a ten times increase in stimulus
brightness to produce twice as many signals. (Illustration adapted from Gregory, Eye
and Brain: The Psychology of Seeing.)

Relative intensity of stimulus

1

10

1,000

Ref: Lighting for Interior Design

By Malcolm Innes
The careful control of illuminance levels across spatial trajectories is crucial in ensuring
visual and spatial continuity, comfort, and one’s ability to see.

For example, many have experienced the disorienting sensation that results when one
is abruptly forced to emerge from a dark space into bright sunlight or the harsh glare of
electric lighting. In designing such spatial trajectories, from extreme darkness to light, it
is advantageous to slowly increase the lighting levels—from interior to exit corridor to
building foyer to, finally, the outdoor space—to allow the visitor to comfortably adapt to
the increase in light levels and the ultimate illuminance of the point of departure.

Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space

By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space
By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Obscurity, or the lack of light, can also
effectively render our immediate
surroundings and environments in
unexpected ways. This concept is perhaps
best illustrated with examples from the
genre of theatrical stage lighting, where the
careful control of illuminance enables the
stage to become a shifting, illusionary
space of the imagination.

I n t h e t h e a t e r, i t i s p o s s i b l e t o
instantaneously hide or reveal a prop or
character with lighting, such that their very
being is seemingly determined by the
presence or absence of light.

Ref: Architectural Lighting:

Designing with Light and Space
By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Victoria & Albert Museum, LONDON
Architecture Gallery – LIGHTING THROUGH SOUTH FAÇADE FOR 6 MONTHS

January 21, 12pm February 21, 12pm March 21, 12pm

April 21, 12pm May 21, 12pm June 21, 12pm

LIGHTING CONSTRAINS

1.  Light is energy and exposure to high levels of light can alter the chemical
constitution and degrade many materials. It is a particular concern in the
museum and gallery world, where restricted light levels are used to protect
precious exhibits.
2.  It is a challenge to design the lighting for any exhibition that contains exhibits that
need to be displayed in restricted light levels far below average daylight levels.
3.  It is especially difficult when the exhibition space has tall, south-facing windows
4.  In a preserved historic building that cannot be altered from the outside.
5.  the additional wish from the client and the heritage organization that the glazing
should not simply be blacked out and that visitors could still see out of the
building.

From initial calculations, it was clear to the lighting designers that, with such a large
amount of glazing, even an overcast sky would be likely to produce average daylight
levels in the room that were 20 times the maximum allowed for some exhibits.

The daylight control solution chosen for this gallery does not rely on a single method to
control the daylight, but a layered approach. Direct sunlight is controlled with an internal
micro louvre and by careful positioning of the display structures. As ultraviolet is the most
damaging part of the spectrum, specialist window films are used on the glazing to cut out
the UV component of the daylight. Another film reduces the light levels without coloring
the light, while louvres and translucent banners further reduce the natural light to
manageable levels.
Victoria & Albert Museum, LONDON

The daylight-control solution chosen by the

lighting designers involved several
mechanisms to reduce the daylight to
manageable levels. The glazing has a
tinted film applied that reduces the
incoming light and eliminates the ultraviolet
component of the incoming daylight,
The daylight-control solution chosen by
the lighting designers involved several
mechanisms to reduce the daylight to
manageable levels. The glazing has a
tinted film applied that reduces the
incoming light and eliminates the
ultraviolet component of the incoming
daylight.

There is also a woven architectural

micro-louvre system applied to the
inside of the window frames. Arranged
like a miniature venetian blind, this
system prevents high-angle sunlight
entering the room while allowing views
out at low angles.

The result is clear in this image, where

trees can be seen outside but the upper
part of the window appears dark—as all
light is natural, light from high angles is
excluded. The louvre system is not
really obvious to gallery visitors from
normal viewing positions.
The daylight control for the Architecture
Gallery was completed with a printed
translucent banner over the window.

The banner solution was suggested by

the lighting designers, Speirs and Major
Associates, for areas with particularly
light-sensitive exhibits. It allows some
variation in the natural light entering the
gallery, but reduces the total daylight
illumination enough to allow the exhibits
to be picked out from their background
with spotlights.
COLOUR

it will begin to emit different colors of light: at low temperatures a steel bar will glow a
fiery red, and as temperatures increase it will start to glow a pale yellow, then white, then
a pale blue and ultimately, brilliant blue.
the Kelvin scale for color
temperature of light sources
ranges from reds (1,500k–
2,000k) to yellows (2,500k–
3,000k) to whites (3,000–
4,000k) to pale blues
(4,000k–6,500k) and then sky
blues (6,500k and higher)—
the higher the Kelvin
temperature, the cooler the
color hue. The fact that
reddish hues are referred to
as warm color and bluish
hues as cool color is simply
due to the cultural
connotation that red equals
heat (fire) and blue equals
cold (snow and ice).
COLOR TEMPERATURE

Colour temperature has been described most simply as a method of describing the
colour characteristics of light, usually either warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish), and
measuring it in degrees of Kelvin (°K).

A more technical definition assigns a numerical value to the colour emitted by a light
source, measured in degrees of Kelvin. The Kelvin Colour Temperature
scale imagines a black body object--- (such as a lamp filament) being heated. At some
point the object will get hot enough to begin to glow. As it gets hotter its glowing colour
will shift, moving from deep reds, such as a low burning fire would give, to oranges &
yellows, all the way up to white hot. Light sources that glow this way are called
"incandescent radiators", and the advantage to them is that they have a continuous
spectrum. This means that they radiate light energy at all wavelengths of their spectrum,
therefore rendering all the colours of a scene being lit by them, equally. Only light from
sources functioning this way can meet the truest definition of colour temperature.
The greenish colour of 4500°K fluorescent
would not appear in a true Colour
Te m p e r a t u r e . H o u s e h o l d q u a l i t y
fluorescent lamps can have either too
much green or magenta rendered in their
colour.
Tungsten incandescent, most common in
household lamps, has a slightly lower
colour temperature at 2900°K than
tungsten-halogen (aka quartz) at 3200°K,
so its output will be slightly warmer.
CORRELATED COLOR TEMPERATURE (CCT)

Light sources that are not incandescent radiators have what is referred to as a
"Correlated Colour Temperature" (CCT). It's connotations to any part of the colour
temperature chart are strictly visually based. Lights with a correlated colour temperature
do not have an equal radiation at all wavelengths in their spectrum. As a result, they can
have disproportionate levels (both high & low) when rendering certain colours. These
light sources are measured in their ability to accurately render all colours of their
spectrum, in a scale is called the Colour Rendering Index (CRI). Incandescent
radiators have a CRI of 100 (the max.) More on this below.
When we say a car is red, what we actually mean is that under white light conditions the
paint pigment on the car reflects mostly red light. This is an important variance on how
we usually describe color and objects.
This children’s toy
is made of brightly
c o l o u r e d
components. The
various parts
would normally be
described as being
red, white, blue,
green, or yellow.
H o w e v e r, t h i s
description is
based on what the
toy looks like
under white light.
The same object
under different
lighting conditions
When lit with only
red light, the
colours of the
components seem
to shift, with the
blue and green
parts becoming
much darker and
the yellow taking
on an orange hue.
All the colours are
still discernible
under a pale green
light, but they
seem to have
become anaemic
and have lost all
their vibrancy.
Under strong blue
light the
components lose
almost all sense of
their white-light
colors. The green
roof and yellow
bucket appear to
be the same
colour, and the
blue body and
white window look
as though they
could be the same
material. The red
tires are totally
unrecognizable.
COLOR RENDERING INDEX (CRI)

Colour rendering describes how a light source makes the colour of an object appear to
human eyes and how well subtle variations in colour shades are revealed. The Colour
Rendering Index (CRI) is a scale from 0 to 100 percent indicating how accurate a "given"
light source is at rendering colour when compared to a "reference" light source.

The higher the CRI, the better the colour rendering ability. Light sources with a CRI of 85
to 90 are considered good at colour rendering. Light sources with a CRI of 90 or higher
are excellent at colour rendering and should be used for tasks requiring the most
accurate colour discrimination.

Spectral power distribution

graphs show the relative
power of wavelengths
across the visible spectrum
for a given light source.
These graphs also reveal
the ability of a light source
to render all, or, selected
colors.
typical spectral power distribution graph for daylight. Notice the strong presence of ALL
wavelengths (or the "full colour spectrum"). Daylight provides the highest level of colour
rendering across the spectrum.
This is the power distribution spectrum for a particular fluorescent lamp. e again present
but only certain wavelengths (the spikes) are strongly present. These spikes indicate
which parts of the color spectrum will be emphasized in the rendering of color for objects
illuminated by the light source. This lamp has a 3000K color temperature and a CRI of
82. It produces a light that is perceived as "warmer" than daylight (3000K vs. 5000K). It's
ability to render color across the spectrum is not bad, but certainly much worse than
daylight. Notice the deep troughs where the curve almost reaches zero relative power at
certain wavelengths.
The apples only display their green and red colours under white light.
Ref: Lighting for Interior Design
By Malcolm Innes
Using coloured light turns the green apple orange.
Seen under a deep blue light, the red apple becomes very dark and looks more like a
plum than an apple.
Graph illustrating the peak sensitivity of rod
receptors at around 507 nm and cone receptors
Ref: Lighting for Interior Design
at around 555 nm. By Malcolm Innes
University of Puerto Rico Campus, Río Piedras Campus Master Plan
employs light colour as a way finding device to orient visitors. Building facades are
illuminated with the color that corresponds to their cardinal orientation, and bollard
lighting employed throughout the major circulation routes correspondingly indicates
directional axes
Colored light can leave us with lasting impressions of a place because we are apt to
remember our experiences by the color in which they were rendered.
A large public space bathed in magenta might evoke euphoria, a sense of communal
ecstasy, while a deep ultramarine blue could convey a sort of calm stillness. The careful
choice and use of colour in an architectural setting can shape occupants’ memories and
experiences of a space while provoking psychological responses in situ.

Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space

By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Flandres train station, Lille, France
bathed the interior of the train station in magenta light. The train station became a
glowing icon and visual symbol of the structure’s radiating force, seen from all parts of
the city at night.
the surrounding environs were simultaneously “painted” a hue of bluegreen, perceived
by visitors upon exiting the station by means of illusionary aftereffects
INTIMACY

We inherently perceive the height of a light source in relationship to its closeness to our
body. A candle held in one’s hand becomes a physical extension of one’s body; the light
it casts is a deeply personal experience, enveloping its holder in a curtain of light that
renders the immediate space visible.
INTIMACY

Inside the most private spaces of the house (the bedroom, the study, the wardrobe, and
so on) the height of a light source is kept at arm’s length, as if to reinforce our eminent
control and possession of this light as a means of reassurance. In more family-oriented
spaces, such as the dining room, we might find a chandelier suspended over the dinner
table at a distance sufficiently removed from the action below, but at the same time close
enough to encompass its subjects in a blanket of soft light.
INTIMACY

At the entrance of the house, the doorway is marked by a light shining from above. This
luminaire— marking the boundary between exterior and interior, public and private—has
dual functions, as it can be considered both the highest of private lights and the lowest
of public lights. Ultimately, the streetlights and sidewalk lampposts at the end of the
driveway dwarf the entrance light and those within the house, marking the shift from
residential to public scale.
INTIMACY

At the entrance of the house, the doorway is marked by a light shining from above. This
luminaire— marking the boundary between exterior and interior, public and private—has
dual functions, as it can be considered both the highest of private lights and the lowest
of public lights. Ultimately, the streetlights and sidewalk lampposts at the end of the
driveway dwarf the entrance light and those within the house, marking the shift from
residential to public scale.
INTIMACY

Varying conditions are created with light height, signaling time and intimacy: High-output
down lights and three raised pendant fixtures illuminated for daytime conditions (left),
two raised and one lowered pendant fixture illuminated for day to evening transition
(middle), and medium-output up lights and single low pendant fixture over dining table
illuminated for night time condition (right).
Function and Dispersement
The height of a lighting fixture is one of
several variables that affect the intensity,
spread, and perceived brightness of a given
light source.

A single luminaire installed at great height will

cast a single beam of light that exhibits the
following qualities
• The area illuminated will be a function of
height the higher the fixture, the larger
the area illuminated.
• The luminaire will become the focal
point of a space, as our eyes are drawn
to the brightest spot around.
• The light emitted by the luminaire will
blanket the surroundings in an
unequivocally even glow, eliminating all
sense of hierarchy or patches of
darkness within the space.

Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space

By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Function and Dispersement

Multiple luminaires installed at lower

heights will cast multiple beams of
light that exhibit the following qualities

• The area illuminated will be a

function of height and density:
several low-height luminaires can
illuminate a comparable area to
that of a high-height luminaire.
• No single luminaire will become
the focal point of the space.
Rather, one’s eyes will shift
around the space to the various
areas of brightness.
• T h e l i g h t e m i t t e d b y t h e
luminaires will overlap or remain
separate to create areas of
greater or lesser brightness.
Variety in lighting effect and
hierarchy is perceived.
The Standard Hotel, New York, New York, 2009
DENSITY & PATTERN

the density of light in tandem with existing

architectural patterns can establish the
tempo of a space, giving a rhythm and
movement to the overall architectural
composition.

Densities of light in space: Evenly spaced

lighting irrespective of program (top) and
lighting organized with regard to program
(bottom)

The visual principle of density can be

defined by two parameters: the number of
fixtures in a given area and the
organizational character of a grouping of
fixtures. Organisation of light can be
either of these 3

1.  LINEAR
2.  RANDOM
3.  ORGANISED
Aerial photograph of Paris, France
Plaza del Torico, Teruel, Spain
Plaza del Torico, Teruel, Spain
SPACE NAVIGATION AND DEPTH PERCEPTION

The numeric density of lighting fixtures, along with their

organizational characteristics, plays an important role
in controlling the manner in which we perceive and
navigate through space.

Changes in density have the power to quicken the

tempo and heighten the energy of a space, or,
alternatively, slow down the pace or evoke a sense of
stasis.

Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space

By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos
Kunsthaus Graz, Austria
Jewish Holocaust Museum, Germany
DIRECTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF LIGHT
The form of light is governed by the principle of direction and distribution, which
concerns the aim, shape, and beam characteristics of a light source. A narrow beam can
cut through a space to highlight a specific place, while a wide beam might illuminate a
great area, expanding one’s visual grasp of his or her surroundings. These are the
physical dimensions and phenomenological potentials of light that the principle of
direction and distribution govern.

The directionality of light is generally described in one of three directions—up, down, or

multidirectional—and its resultant application on an object or area as direct or indirect
either concentrated, where light is focused on a narrow area, or diffuse, where light is
dispersed over a wide area. The pairing of differing directionalities and distributions
provides a lighting designer with many possibilities for rendering an object or space to
differing effect.
The following possible permutations of direction and distribution offer up multiple lighting
options, resulting in different readings of space: In lighting objects, varied combinations
of direction and distribution can yield drastically different effects.
Concentrated light can be utilized to provoke a sense of drama and visual excitement in
the appearance of the object it illuminates. However, the sharp shadows cast by such a
light source may be detrimental to the reading of details, as portions of the object are
invariably disguised by darkness. An even, diffuse light is better suited to equally render
all parts of the piece visible, but the mood induced by this type of lighting is often static
and bland.
 The directionality of lighting can also
dramatically transform one’s perception of
an object in space, sculpting it to stand out
or meld into its surrounding environment.

Ref: Architectural Lighting: Designing with Light and Space

By Hervé Descottes
with Cecilia E. Ramos