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INTRODUCTION
Lighting design is an art and a science. As a science, the amounts of illumination
needed and certain aspects of the quality of light have been quantified.
As an art however, to attach numbers is meaningless because light is an experience
of the SENSES. It is not an INTELLECTUAL experience.
Lighting in a space is a positive force that can motivate people to be active,
relaxed, productive, lively, depressed, fearful or overactive.
Lighting should make people important. It should create an atmosphere pleasing to
the occupants whether in an office, store, showroom or home.
Lighting should provide visibility, character and mood as well as relate
harmoniously to the space in which it is used.
The complex and temporal nature of lighting is one of the least understood of its
many variables.
Because of this complexity, lighting design can be one of the most creative areas of
all of architecture.
We will look at the various elements of design with which architects work and design.
EFFECT ON ARCHITECTURE
Light is as much a "building material" as steel or concrete.
Although such structural components are needed to enclose a space, it has no real
existence for an individual until it is seen and it registers in his consciousness.
Light defines space;
reveals texture;
shows form;
indicates scale;
separates functions.
Creates mood;
Good lighting makes a building look and work the way the architect intended at all
hours of day and night. It contributes to the character, to the desired attitude
toward form and space, and to the effective functioning of that space.
Lighting is dynamic. Change the lighting and the world around us changes.
Light can make or break a space both functionally and aesthetically.
EFFECT OF LIGHTING
Saves electricity
Disadvantages
Along with light, heat is also
to be entertained
Daylight factor
Volume
Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
2. Brightness distribution:
When we are in a room, our gaze incessantly switches from near
(desktop) to far (walls). Where there are marked differences in
brightness between these two zones, our eyes face the constant
need to re-adapt and thus get tired more quickly. Visual
performance and sense of wellbeing diminish.
Where the differences in brightness are not marked enough,
however, the room makes a monotonous impression. It is
recommended here that desktop luminance should not be less than
1/3 of the luminance in the immediate surroundings. For more
remote parts of the room, the difference in luminance should be 1/5,
max. 1/10.
Bright walls: Good wall and entrance lighting helps people get their
bearings in a room, makes for better contrasts and emphasizes room
zones. It also makes the room look a livelier.
Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
3. Glare
Glare is one of the most disturbing side-effects of lighting.
Direct glare caused by marked contrast differences between
very bright and very dark surfaces or due to unshielded lamps
in our line of vision place a strain on our eyes and lead to
fatigue and mistakes through loss of concentration. To avoid
direct glare from lamps, care should be taken to select only
luminaries which are suitable for workplace lighting.
Glare limitation
Glare is one of the most unpleasant visual problems of all.
Being dazzled by a general-diffuse lamp or the reflection of a
window on a computer screen affects our visual acuity and
impedes our performance. Direct and reflected glare can be
largely avoided by good room and lighting design.
Key Factors For Good Lighting Design
4. Shadowing
Where there is light, there is also shadow. To ensure that
shadows do not impede our view when writing, the light should
fall - for a right-handed person - from the left . If the light
comes from the right, we write in the shadow of our own hand.
5. Light and color
The way we perceive colors under artificial light depends on the
color rendering properties of the lamps. Lamps with good color
rendering properties produce natural colors ,lamps with poor
color rendering properties cause color distortion
6. Direct/indirect lighting
Luminaries with direct and indirect lighting components permit
free arrangements of desks, reduce the risk of reflected glare
and create a more agreeable lighting atmosphere
TECHNIQUES - OVERVIEW
Lighting design techniques are essentially design elements or
solutions that can be utilized in many design contexts. These
elements have to be customized for your specific application.
The aim is to utilize techniques to get the design concept realized.
Don't substitute technique for substance in your design. If you don't
start with a well worked out design concept all the technical
knowledge in the world will not help you.
Surfaces- both vertical as well as well horizontal
Texture rendition lighting
Continuous fluorescent strip systems
Accent lighting
Framing projectors
Designing the workspace
Task visibility
LIGHTING IN GENERAL
Accent lighting
with floor
highlighted
Uplighters
used to
highlight
voluminous
church space.
Accent lights downlight focus Indirect or diffused light
General lighting
with task lighting .
Task L. helps to use
less energy and is
easily controllable.
Use of dimmers
further helps.
Lights as highlighters.
Light color and temperature
Color temperature:
By convention, yellow-red colors (like the flames of a fire) are
considered warm, and
blue-green colors (like light from an overcast sky) are
considered cool.
Color temperature is measured in Kelvin (K) temperature.