Lighting design offers a plethora of benefits, and a comprehensive lighting design is fundamentally essential in every project.
Lighting has the power to completely transform a space, and the contrast between light and dark is key to creating ambience. Areas of lower light are just as important as the areas of lighting, as they bring visual contrast and interest.
Given its importance, Bright Source has produced a guide to lighting design to support clients.
The advantages of lighting design
The benefits of a lighting design begin before any installation has even begun. The creation of a scheme allows for the aesthetics of a space to be reviewed, as 3D models provide a walkthrough with the client. Any tweaks and alterations can be made, and the walkthrough can be updated accordingly.
A considered and planned lighting design ensures that light is only placed where it is needed; such as desks in offices, or on counters in kitchens. This limits unnecessary lighting that floods a space but does not create a balanced environment.
Adding to this, by only using the luminaires which are actually needed in specific locations, energy consumption is reduced. Only those lights that serve a purpose will be using energy.
Lighting design also has the ability to improve productivity. By choosing the right brightness, with well-balanced lighting, eye strain can be reduced. Furthermore, the right lighting can enhance focus and promote alertness, helping people to work more efficiently.
Planning out lighting can further add to the comfort of an environment. Well-designed lighting makes a space feel welcoming and comfortable, which can promote positive interactions and satisfaction levels.
Considerations when creating a lighting design
It’s important to note that lighting design isn’t just about meeting light levels and uniformity. It’s about the aesthetics of the space; creating light and shadow, giving depth and visual interest to a space.
To create a comprehensive design, there needs to be a balance of general lighting and decorative lighting that work in harmony. Decorative lighting comes in many forms; pendants, wall lights, and LED strip to enhance architectural details.
Feeding into this, be sure to consider all of the different mounting options to deliver your design. There are a wealth of options from surface, suspended and recessed, and you can introduce luminaires into architectural details such as a cove or under cupboards. This offers a clean aesthetic, as well as targeted lighting.
When thinking about colour temperature, it’s always best to have a consistent approach to this. Mixing different temperatures in the same space can create a confusing environment and affect how colours look and feel.
Finally, it is beneficial to follow lighting guidance. Take into account the light levels and uniformity needed, along with glare requirements, and think about the ratios of light from task and surface lighting to surrounding areas and walls. This will all contribute to a successful lighting design.
Emergency lighting design
When working on an emergency lighting design, compliance is key. Making sure you have the right levels for the right areas is a crucial factor. However, this needs to be balanced with not over-illuminating and therefore overspending on fittings. Legislation states that a minimum of just 1 Lux is needed on escape routes.
For ‘High-Risk Areas’, higher light levels are understandably required. These include kitchens, workshops and operating theatres.
These examples demonstrate that by calculating the required lighting levels this can reduce the number of emergency fittings used so they fulfil legislation but don’t overcompensate.
Final thoughts
The benefits of creating a lighting design are very clear, and can lead to successful outcomes when taking on a lighting or wider renovation project. If you’re looking for help with a lighting design, Bright Source’s expert team can support you with the creation of a bespoke lighting scheme that optimises all spaces within the project.
