Most people might assume that lighting design comes into play late in the game, like decorating. Or that lighting design mostly depends on factors like available windows or skylights, the height of the room, available electrical infrastructure, or other aspects of the physical structure itself. Certainly, these aspects are important, as are the client’s goals when it comes to aesthetics, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency. One critical factor to keep in mind, however, is a room or a building’s purpose: who will be using the space, and what will they be using it for? In this month’s blog we look at a few ways lighting designers take purpose into account when putting together an illumination scheme.
Understanding how a space will be used provides more helpful context beyond simply what type of business or organization will occupy a building. While there may be general successful trends within certain areas, there is no one-size-fits-all approach for retail or hospitality or offices. Designers need to understand the volume of occupants who will be using a space, their primary types of tasks, and what times of day will be active in order to tailor a lighting scheme that will meet the client’s needs.
Office work
When we think purpose and function, the first example that jumps to mind is probably an office. The lighting scheme of an office space helps employees get the job done, but truly meeting that goal effectively involves more consideration than simply providing sufficient light to accomplish a task. Designing lighting for an office space is about more than just making sure there is enough light—a balance needs to be struck to ensure that there is also not too much. The ubiquity of computer monitors translates into a greater risk for over-illumination, adding reflective surfaces that create glare, which not only leads to eye strain, it can compromise employee well-being if they constantly shift into uncomfortable positions in order to give their eyes a break.
As we looked at in our earlier blog on human centric lighting, it is important for a space’s lighting system not to wreak havoc on employees’ circadian rhythms. The purpose of an office space is productivity, which lighting can impact in ways we might not expect. In order to promote employee wellness—which in turn boosts productivity—lighting can be designed to complement what our bodies are habituated to from nature. For example, in a space reliant primarily on artificial light, incorporating a color shift that mimics the tones of natural light, helping occupants feel where they are in the day and help prime the body for the end-of-day melatonin production that helps them wind down and get some much needed rest.
Moving people through an unfamiliar space
When it comes to hospitality in particular, open spaces have become the norm, but this type of design can be overwhelming to a newcomer trying to identify a check-in desk, a bar, or the restroom. Confused patrons new to a hotel or restaurant interrupt the flow of foot traffic, and in a busy establishment, this can pose real problems. A lighting scheme needs to highlight key points of interest, help guests find elevators and stairwells, and generally help people navigate a space smoothly, all while tying the different components together aesthetically.
Likewise, once a guest has entered their room, an effective lighting design needs to not just illuminate the space but do so in a way where controls feel intuitive and easy to locate. A hotel wants their guests to feel right at home so that they want to return, and by using lighting to effectively guide navigation through rooms and public spaces, guests will feel more welcome.
Creating a mood
While mood might sound like it’s more related to aesthetics, it also plays an important role when it comes to communicating how a space is to be used (and helping achieve that purpose). A somber occasion like a memorial service will lose much of its gravity and sense of connectedness if held in a brightly lit space that feels too chipper for the event. The mood created may detract from the attendees’ experience.
Event spaces that host very different types of gatherings will use distinct types of lighting in order to create the ideal setting. With a few tweaks, the same room can go from professional meeting space to party central, creating the appropriate mood for the purpose at hand. We have probably all been at a bar or restaurant one evening and experienced the moment of transition from a more casual gathering spot to a more intimate, possibly romantic location, when the lights go down at a certain hour. The right lighting serves as an important way to communicate how a space is intended to be used.
We have explored just a few of the ways that lighting can be designed around a room’s purpose, and why these considerations are so important. Lighting design is about so much more than fixtures and controls, it is about the intended experience of a space and how that experience can be brought to life, before our very eyes.