Lighting Design

BUILDING UTILITIES 3
Lighting Design
- The goal of lighting is to create an efficient and pleasing interior.
These two requirements, that is, the utilitarian· and aesthetic,
are not antithetical as is demonstrated by every good lighting
design. Light can and should be used as an adjunct
architectural material.
- Lighting levels should be adequate for efficient seeing of the particular
task involved. Variations within acceptable brightness ratios in a given
field of view are desirable to avoid monotony .and to create perspective
effects.
- Lighting equipment should be unobtrusive, but not necessarily invisible.
Fixtures can be chosen and arranged in various ways to complement
the architecture or to create dominant or minor architectural features or
patterns. Fixtures may also be decorative and thus enhance the interior
design.
Lighting Design
- Lighting must have the proper quality. Accent lighting directional lighting
and other highlighting techniques increase the utilitarian as well as
architectural quality of a space.
- The entire lighting design must be accomplished efficiently in terms of
capital and energy resources; the former determined principally by life-
cycle costs and the latter by operating energy costs and resource-
energy usage. Both the capital and energy limitations are, to a large
extent, outside the control of the designer, who works within constraints
in these areas.
Lighting Design
Illumination Methods
General Lighting
- This is a system designed to give uniform and generally, though
not necessarily, diffuse lighting throughout the area under
consideration. The method of accomplishing this result varies
from the use of luminous ceiling to properly spaced and chosen
downlights, but the resultant lighting on the horizontal working
plane must be same, that is, reasonably uniform. It may be, but
is not necessarily, task lighting.
Illumination Methods
General Lighting
Illumination Methods
Local and Supplementary Lighting
- These are two terms that are used interchangeably but have
slightly different meanings. By definition, local lighting provides
a small, high-level area of lighting without contributing to the
general lighting, supplementary lighting also provides a
restricted area of high intensity but supplements the general
lighting. ln actual practice, it is difficult to differentiate between
the two. A desk lamp, a high-intensity down light on a
merchandising display. and a track light illuminating wall
displays, all seem to answer both definitions, and in practice
are referred to as local supplementary, or local-supplementary
tights. See figures below.
Illumination Methods
Local and Supplementary Lighting
Illumination Methods
Combined General and Local Lighting
- This illumination method is used in areas where the general
visual task is low, but local high-intensity lighting is required. An
excellent example is the department store where circulation
requires low-level lighting while merchandising areas and
showcases require up to 500 fc. The indicated solution to this
problem is a general lighting system that will provide 30 fc of
uniform. diffuse lighting of the proper color and supplementary
local lighting in restricted areas. The quality of the local lighting
supplied depends on the particular item being displayed. A
nonuniform lighting layout that is arranged to localize lighting
but does not have a uniform overall pattern is difficult to classify.
We would think of it as a combination of general lighting in
some areas and local in others, that is. a combined system.
Illumination Methods
Combined General and Local Lighting
Lighting System Concept
System Lighting design requires consideration of
- the amount of functional light provided
- the energy consumed
- the aesthetic impact
Lighting System Concept
Architectural lighting design focuses on three fundamental
aspects of the illumination of buildings or spaces.
- Aesthetic appeal of a building, an aspect particularly important in the
illumination of retail environments.
- Ergonomic aspect: the measure of how much of a function the lighting
plays.
- Energy efficiency issue to ensure that light is not wasted by over-
illumination, either by illuminating vacant spaces unnecessarily or by
providing lighter than needed for the aesthetics or the task.
Lighting System
Ambient Lighting
- Ambient lighting provides an area with overall illumination. Also
known as general lighting, ambient illumination for orientation
and general tasks in the space, like walking etc. Often provided
by traditional pendant type fixtures, down lights, chandeliers, or
ceiling mounted fixtures etc.
Lighting System
Accent / Directional Lighting
- Highlights special objects of interest or to guide occupants.
Accent lighting is mainly decorative, intended to highlight
pictures, plants, or other elements of interior design or
landscaping.
Lighting System
Accent / Directional Lighting
- To be effective, accent lighting requires as least 3-times as
much light on the focal point as the general lighting surrounding
it.
Lighting System
Task Lighting
- Mainly functional and is usually the most concentrated, for
purposes such as reading or inspection of materials. Task
lighting should be free of distracting glare and shadows and
should be bright enough to prevent eye strain.
Lighting System
Task Lighting
- Well distributed over the work area shadow-free. It should be
energy-efficient. Most people prefer warm white to neutral
white. Warm white is normally associated with a correlated
color temperature between 3,000 and 3,500 kelvin.
Lighting System
Guidance / Informational Lighting
- The light in your closet, the light by your doorbell, and night
lights, as well as path lighting and motion lights, are all good
examples of informational lighting.
Lighting System
Decorative Lighting
- Light strips, pendants, chandeliers, and sconces are all
examples of light fixtures that draw attention to themselves and
add character to the place being lighted. Many are also used
for general lighting.
Lighting Distribution
General Lighting
- Luminaires designed for general illumination of large areas
constitute the majority of lighting installations and the majority
of the energy consumed for lighting. These lighting systems
consist of a luminaire layout pattern that provides uniform
lighting throughout the space.
Lighting Distribution
General Lighting
Lighting Distribution
Indirect Lighting
- Lighting systems that radiate light up to a reflecting ceiling are
called indirect lighting systems. These systems generally
employ luminaires suspended from the ceiling, though cove
lights and lights mounted to walls and furniture can also be
used.
Lighting Distribution
Indirect Lighting
Lighting Distribution
Indirect Lighting
Lighting Distribution
Direct / Indirect Lighting
- These systems combine the benefits of both traditional direct
lighting and indirect lighting. The appropriate balance of direct
and indirect light is dependent on the nature of individual
applications.
Lighting Distribution
Lighting Distribution
Lighting Distribution
Lighting Distribution
Luminaire
A luminaire, or light fixture, is a unit consisting of the following
components:

- lamps
- lamp sockets
- ballasts
- reflective material
- lenses, refractors, or louvers
Incandescent Lamps
- Incandescent lamps are one of the oldest electric lighting
technologies available.
Incandescent Lamps
Fluorescent Lamps
- Full-size fluorescent lamps are available in several shapes,
including straight, U-shaped, and circular configurations. Lamp
diameters range from 1" to 2.5".
Fluorescent Lamps
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
- Reductions of tube diameters have facilitated the development of
compact fluorescent lamps.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
High Intensity Discharge Lamps
Mercury Vapor Lamp
- Clear mercury vapor lamps, which produce a blue-green light,
consist of a mercury-vapor arc tube with tungsten electrodes at
both ends.
High Intensity Discharge Lamps
Mercury Vapor Lamp
High Intensity Discharge Lamps
Metal Halide Lamps
- These lamps use metal halide additives inside the arc tube along
with the mercury and argon. These additives enable the lamp to
produce more visible light per watt with improved color rendition.
High Intensity Discharge Lamps
High Pressure Sodium Lamps
- widely used for outdoor and industrial applications. Its higher
efficacy makes it a better choice than metal halide for these
applications, especially when good color rendering is not a priority.
Light Emitting Diodes
LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) use a fraction of the electricity of
standard incandescent bulbs and have become the best energy-
saving light sources. LED’s are long-lasting, reliable and produce
a comfortable white light, which is essential for secure uniform
lighting.

- LED lamps last up to 20 years

- LED lamps reach full brightness immediately
- LEDs do not radiate infrared or ultraviolet light or contain mercury
- LED lamps have no start up problems because of cold temperatures
- LED is the most efficient light source available till now.
Light Emitting Diodes
Natural Lighting
Light tubes or Light Pipes
- are physical structures used for transporting or distributing
natural or artificial light for the purpose of illumination.
- They are also often called tubular daylighting devices, sun
pipes, sun scopes, or daylight pipes.
Natural Lighting
Light Collectors
- The Sky Vault Collector capture daylight without heating the
building interior.
Natural Lighting
Light Efficiency
Luminous Efficacy / Efficiency
- is the ratio of the luminous flux to the electrical power
consumed (lm / W). It is a measure of a light source’s economic
efficiency.
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
- The temperature of an ideal black-body radiator that radiates
light of comparable hue to that of the light source. Stated in the
unit of absolute temperature, kelvin.
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature
Lighting Color
Color Rendering Index
- The scale from 0 to 100 percent indicating how accurate a
given light source is at rendering color when compared to a
reference light source.
Lighting Color
Color Rendering Index
Lighting Color
Color Rendering Index
Lighting Design Parameters
In exterior applications, use fully shielded luminaires that directs
light downwards towards the ground or a building façade.
Lighting Design Parameters
It can, in the case of lighting close to the wall (“grazing” rather
than “washing”) reveal defects in the workmanship.
Lighting Design Parameters
Lighting Design Parameters
Lighting Design Parameters
Lighting Design Parameters
Good and bad lighting locations, causing or avoiding glare.
Lighting Design Parameters
Uniform VS Task lighting
Lighting Design Parameters
END
Lighting Design
BUILDING UTILITIES 3