Introduction to Lighting Design | LightNOW

Lighting design is the process of delivering lighting to spaces. It begins with a conversation with the owner about organizational and user ... ThisWeek'sSponsor LightingDesign IntroductiontoLightingDesign CraigDiLouie March18,20166:00AM March18,2016 25136views 4CommentsonIntroductiontoLightingDesign AnothercontributiontotheMarchissueofTheElectricalDistributorprovidesaprimeronlightingdesign.Reprintedwithpermission. It’softensaidthatlightingisasmuchanartasitisengineering,buttheartofdesigncanbereducedtoaseriesofguidingprinciples.Byunderstandingtheseprinciples,electricaldistributorsdemonstrateexpertiseanddifferentiatethemselves.Theycanengageownersinaconversationthatstartswithapplicationneedsandendswithequipmentsales. Whatlightingcando Lightisacommoditythatshouldbepurchasedatthelowestpossiblecost,butlightingisabusinessassetthatshouldbecarefullyconsideredforinvestmentwiththerightdesignandequipment. Thelargemajorityofourimpressionsoftheworldcomethroughoureyes,andlightisnecessarytovision.Lightisthereforethemediumthroughwhichamajorityofpeopleperceivetheworld. “Lighting”istheapplicationoflighttospaces.Wherethelightisplaced,atwhatrelativeintensities,andinwhatdirection,canhaveamajorimpactnotonlyonvisionandvisualcomfort,butperception.Notjustlight,butthelightingequipmentitselfcanalsoaffectimpressionsofthespaceanditsowner. Lighting,therefore,canimpactsatisfaction,visibility,taskperformance,safety,security,sales,moodandatmosphere,aestheticjudgmentandsocialinteraction.Italsotellsastoryaboutthespace,whetheragivenstoreislikelytobefocusedondiscountsorhigh-endproducts,orwhetherarestaurantissellingfastfoodorafinediningexperience. Colorperception:Foranobjecttobeperceivedacertaincolor,thatcolormustbepresentbothintheobjectandthecontentofthelightstrikingit.Designersareconcernedwithcolorappearance(measuredincorrelatedcolortemperature,orCCT)andcolorfidelity,orcolorrenderingcomparedtoanidealsource(measuredonthecolorrenderingindex,orCRI).Thelightingindustryisnowevaluatingaproposedmetriccapturingsaturationaswell.ChangingCCT,CRIandsaturationcanhaveabigimpactonhowpeople,objectsandspacesappear,enhancingormutingorevendistortingtheircolors. Focus:Thehumaneyeisnaturallyattractedtothebrightestareainthefieldofview.Byfocusingahigherintensityoflightoncertainfeaturesinaspace,wecanmakethemfocalpoints,directingattentiontothem,andestablishavisualhierarchy.Forexample,wecouldpromoteakeymerchandisedisplaybyfocusingahigherintensityoflightonit. Spaceperception:Thepatternoflightinaspacecanstimulateapsychologicalresponse(seeTable).Forexample,brightuniformlighting,withlightplacedonwallsandeventheceiling,canmakeaspaceappearpublicandvisuallylargerinalobby.Conversely,lower-intensitylightingatthetaskwithalittleperimeterlightingcancreatefeelingsofintimacyinafinerestaurant. Aspace’slightingdefinesitspersonalityandhowpeopleperceiveit,whichinturnaffectshowtheyfeelaboutbeingthere.Belowarevariouslightingeffectsthatcantakethesamespaceandtransformitintodifferentenvironments. Modeling:Thecontrastoflightandshadowcanrevealtextureandadddepthtofaces,objectsandsurfaces.Forexample,washingabrickwallwithlightwillvisuallyflattenitstexturebyreducingshadows,whilegrazingitatananglewillenrichitstexture.Asanotherexample,strongdownlightingonafacecanproduceshadowingattheeyebrows,noseandwrinkles.Modelingiseffectedbyrelativeintensitiesanddirectionoflight,withthelightdistributioncharacteristicsofthelightsourcebeinganimportantfactor. Upperleft:statuelightedwithdiffuselightingonly,whichresultsinalackofdefinition.Upperright:statuelightedwithdiffuselightingwithsidelight,balancingdefinitionwithoutharshshadowing.Bottomleft:statuelightedwithdownlightingonly,whichproducesunflatteringshadows.Bottomright:statuelightedwithuplightingonly,whichmakesthefaceappearsinister.ImagecourtesyofNaomiJ.Miller,FIES,FIALD,LC. Pointsources,suchasincandescentlampsandLEDs,aresmalllampsthatcanproducepronouncedshadows.Linearsources,suchasfluorescentlamps,producediffuselightoutputfromthesource’ssurface,whichsoftensshadows.Areasourcesarelargesurfacesthatemithighlydiffuselight,suchasaceilingreflectinglightfromanindirectlightsource. Left:objectslightedbyapointsource.Middle:objectslightedbyalinearsource.Right:objectslightedbyanareasource.ImagecourtesyofPeterNgai. Alightconversation Lightingdesignistheprocessofdeliveringlightingtospaces.Itbeginswithaconversationwiththeowneraboutorganizationalanduserneeds.Whowillbeusingthespace?Whataretheirlightingneeds?Whatarethespacecharacteristics?Whatbusinessgoalsshouldthelightingsupport?Whatdoestheownerwantthespacetocommunicate?Howimportantisenergyefficiencyandeaseofmaintenance?Whatrestrictionsapply,suchasenergycodesandbudget? Layeringwithlight Properlylightingaspaceofteninvolveslayeringofgeneral/ambient,taskandaccentlighting. Generallighting:Thisprimarylayerprovidessufficientlighttoperformvisualtasks,ambientlightforsafecirculation,orboth.Itisusuallyprovidedbyoverheadequipment.Generallightingistypicallydiffuseanduniform. Generallightingtypicallyfallsintooneofthreecategoriesbasedonitslightemission:direct,indirectorsomecombinationofthetwo. Directlightingdistributesallornearlyalllightdownwardtowardthetask.Thelightmaybeconcentratedorspread,dependingontheopticsused.It’sveryefficientbutposesrisksofdirectglare,scallopingonnearbywalls,andpronouncedshadows.Indirectlightingdistributesallornearlyalllightupwardtowardtheceilingandnearbywalls,whichisthenreflectedintothetaskarea.Indirectlightingprovidesverysoftlightdistribution,whichcanpromotevisualcomfort,butrisksmakingthespaceappearvisuallyflat. Manyluminaires,knownbyvariousterminology,emitlightinbothdirections.Traditionally,semi-indirectluminairesemit60-90percentoftheiroutputupand10-40percentdown.Direct-indirectemitroughlyequallyupanddown.Andsemi-directemit60-90percentoftheiroutputdownand10-40percentup.Commonly,however,theseluminairesarebrokenintotwotypes:direct/indirect,aluminairethatemitsmoredownlightthanuplight,andindirect/direct,whichemitsmoreuplightthandownlight.Thedownlightcomponentprovidesefficienttasklightingwithmodelingdefinition,whiletheuplightcomponentprovidesdiffuseambientilluminationforvisualcomfort. Supplementarytasklighting:Thisprimarylayerprovideshigherlightintensitiesatthetask.Itisusuallyprovidedbylocalizedequipmentsuchastasklights,ofwhichthereisawidevariety. Accentlighting:Thisprimarylayerisusedtodrawattentionimportantobjects,displays,artwork,architectureandareasbyfocusingahigherrelativeintensityoflightonthem.Itisoftenprovidedbyequipmentsuchasdirectionallightingwithvaryingbeamspreadsallowingprecisecontroloverwhatisbeinglighted.Inapplicationswheredisplaysareexpectedtomove,suchasaretailstore,flexible(aimableand/ormovable)lightingisrecommended.Aparticularaccentlightingtechniqueisframing,inwhicharecessedorsurface-mountedlightprojector,fittedwithadjustableshutters,preciselyfocusesintenselightonanobjectsuchasawallpainting. Byseparatelycontrollingtheselayersatdifferentintensities,avarietyofscenescanbeproduced,providingflexibilitytosupportvariousspaceneeds. Techniques Asidefromthebasiclightinglayers,varioustechniquescanbeusedtoachievespecificlightingeffects.Theseincludedownlighting,wallwashing/grazing,covelighting,uplighting,silhouettingandsparkle/glitter. Downlighting:Downlightingispopulartechniquethatplaceslightbelowthelightsourceandisavailablefromavarietyoflightingequipment,fromdownlightstorecessedtroffers.Thelightcanbesoftanddiffuseforvisualcomfortinaspacewithcriticalvisualtasks,orintenseandnon-diffusetopromoteavisuallystimulatingatmosphere. Downlightingthatisn’tbalancedwithotherlightcanproduceunwantedshadowingonfaces.Downlightsinstallednearawallcanproducetallandthinscalloping,whichisgenerallyundesirable. Wallwashingandgrazing:Wallwashinginvolvesuniformlylightingawallfromtoptobottominagradedwash.This“washing”eliminatesshadows,resultinginasmooth,visuallyflatappearance.It’sthereforebestsuitedtoflatwalls.Lightsourcesmustbeplacedasufficientdistancefromthewallandcloseenoughtoeachothertoensureagoodwallwashingeffect. Wallgrazingissimilartowallwashing,butthelightsourceisplacedclosertothewall,whichaccentuatesshadowsandtherebyrevealstexture.It’sthereforebestsuitedtotexturedwallssuchasbrickandstone.Thelightsourcecanbeplacedatvaryingdistancesfromthewall,changingtheangleandtherebytheamountofshadowingthatisproduced. Covelighting:Covelightinginvolvesilluminatingperimetercoves.Thishighlightsthearchitecturalfeatureandshedslightontheceiling,whichisreflectedintothespaceasindirectambientlight. Uplighting:Uplightingplaceslightabovethelightsource.It’snotverypopularbutcanbeeffectiveforcertainapplications,suchtablecandlelightandhighlightingarchitecture,plantsandtrees. Silhouetting:Silhouettinginvolvesbacklightinganobjectwitheithernoorreducedfrontallighting,renderingitinsilhouette.Thebacklightcanbeintense(whichclarifiestheobject)ordiffuse.Thistechniqueistypicallyusedforilluminatingartwork,brandingorarchitectureforaesthetics. Sparkle/Glitter:Thisisproducingtinypointsofglareforvisualinterestandtoproduceasenseofelegance.Examplesincludesomechandeliersandsparkleonrestaurantsilverware. Thisprivateofficeislightedto50footcandlesoftaskilluminationusingfourdifferentdesignsfeaturingtroffers,downlights,parabolictroffersandlinearindirect.Theresultisaspacethatappearsdifferentlyintermsofbrightness,aesthetics,spaciousnessandvisualcomfort.ImagecourtesyofLeslieNorth,PE,LC,LEED-APandCarlaBukalski,PE,LC. Aesthetics Theaestheticsofvisiblelightingequipmentwillalsohaveanimpactonhowthespaceanditsownerareperceived.Adecorative,sparklingchandelierinahotellobbycanconveyelegance,forexample.Linearsuspendedluminairesinsteadoftroffersinanofficeconveysacool,high-techlook.Similarly,thearrangementofluminairesconveysanaestheticimpression.Luminairesshouldalwaysbeplacedinawaythatisnotvisuallyjarring(unlessthedesignerwantsitthatwayforsomereason). Lighton Lightingisfarmorethanlumensandwatts.Itistheapplicationoflighttospacestosupporttheowner’sgoalsanduserneeds.Byunderstandingthevarioustechniquesandprinciplesusedtoproducedifferentlightingeffects,ownerscanbeengagedineducatedsalesconversationsthatstartwiththeirneeds. PostViews: 25,136 Sharethis:ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)Likethis:LikeLoading... Related Like Tweet Pin 4Comments DawnDeGraziosays: March31,2016at11:21AM Nicelydone,Craig. PaulCoppagesays: April4,2016at10:18AM Ditto,Sir. CarlSeeleysays: April5,2016at12:52PM Verynicephotosfordemonstratinglightingapplicationstocustomers. JeremyHoltsays: July6,2016at7:12AM Greatarticle!Veryinformative.Thanks! 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