Three Elements of Lighting Design

July 21st, 2020

Three elements need to consider even before designing any space –

  • What to light?
  • How to light it?
  • What to light it with?

What to light – Designer should analyze the space in the following terms –

  • Function – What activities will occur in the space?
  • Tasks – What seeing tasks are to be done in the space?
  • Objects – Which ones do you most want people to see?
  • Architectural Features – Which ones are to be emphasized?
  • Furniture Location – Where will people sit?
  • Mood – What atmosphere is desired?
  • Style – What must the lighting go with?

How to light – Once you have analyzed and decided what to light, then you can decide how to light it by using the following techniques –

  • Ambient Lighting – Defines the overall space, overall Illumination. Enables one to move easily and safely in the space. Direct Lighting creates warmth and intimacy feeling while indirect lighting creates quitter, cooler and spacious look.
  • Accent Lighting – This type of light directs light to selected objects like painting/sculpture/art piece. Accent lights draw the attention “Hey look at me”.
  • Task Lighting – This type of light illuminates the area where important work is performed like cooking, reading, writing etc.

What to light it with – Once you decided what to light and how to light, it comes to the selection of lamp source and even its control.

  • It can include Lamp type (LED / CFL etc.), Colour of light (Warm White / Cool white etc.), Intensity, Beam angle etc.
  • It also includes the dimming part (changing light levels).
  • It also includes tuneable part (Changing Colour Temperature).