We are all experienced and we have all done it! I am referring to one's reaction to less than good lighting of course. Think about it.
We have all experienced architectural spaces wherein something about the lighting is not quite right. It could be any of the following issues, to name a few: appearance, color quality, controllability, emphasis or lack thereof, flicker, harshness of shadows, lack of shadows, illumination levels on horizontal and/or vertical surfaces, luminaire placement, proportions, and/or scale. Any of these issues can be perceived as bad lighting.
No jury required, we are each able to judge and say, "this visual environment is not comfortable”, even if the reason(s) cannot be articulated. Each of us perceive the physical world differently through our visual system.
We have all done it: Squinted, to limit offensive glare. This is an involuntary reaction when pupillary response cannot mitigate excessive brightness. Our eyelids and our hands (or a baseball cap) help protect us from glare; like when one falls forward and our hands are instantly extended.
Physical and psychological reactions to bad lighting indicate that the lighting is out of balance with what we need/desire from a lighting system. The term: Koyaanisqatsi (koy·aa·nuh·skaat·see) comes to mind. In the Hopi language, Koyaanisqatsi means “life out of balance”. Indeed, when elements in our lives are out-of-whack, the results can range from mildly disappointing to completely disabling.
How can this be? LED technology can deliver more lumens for less watts than any other (currently viable) electric light source, is spectrally tunable, diminutive in scale, and wirelessly controllable. All true, but these attributes do not ensure a good quality visual environment. Elements of bad lighting can occur when the variables that should be considered during the design process are discounted, overlooked, or ignored. This includes the process for luminaire design as well as architectural lighting design.
In addition, LEDs have a few characteristics that are distinctly different from other light sources:
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LEDs are inherently directional - Each diode projects light in a conical shape of approximately 110 degrees. Each LED, when interrupted by an object, will cast a shadow. LEDs are a directional point source. An array of bare LED chips will project a multiplicity of shadows. Incandescent, tungsten filament sources (A-lamp, etc.) are omnidirectional, like a candle, disbursing light in all directions, except through the base; a true Point Source. PAR/R lamps are directional point sources because they have an integral reflector surrounding the filament. Fluorescent sources (gaseous in nature) are considered an Area Light source with toroidal distribution: Omnidirectional in cross-section, but less than omnidirectional parallel to the luminous tube.
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LEDs do not color-shift when dimmed; they just emit less light of the full-on color. Incandescent sources color-shift warmer when dimmed. And fluorescent sources actually color-shift cooler when dimmed. Since incandescent was the first commercially viable electric light source, we have come to expect a warm-shift when any electric light source is dimmed. This is why dim-to-warm technology, which utilizes different color white LEDs, sophisticated circuitry and a specific driver (power supply) was developed. It is also why dim-to-warm LEDs have lumen output limitations (a function of thermal management) and require a specific dim-to-warm driver and/or compatible dimmers, which can increase cost.
Furthermore, it is easy to comprehend why there is no simple recipe for good lighting, because a significant percentage of human sensory input is visual, to which “non-visual” must be mentioned; because iPRGCs (intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells) help maintain our circadian biology, when stimulated by specific wavelengths of light. The design process must occur in order to yield positive, holistic results for the people that live, work, and play on the Shakespearean “stage” we call Architecture.
The following are some principles of good lighting design that can jump-start the creative process and yield excellent results:
Contextual Definitions
- Light: Visually evaluated radiant energy. [1]
- Lighting Design: A series of planned experiences involving people and space. [2]
Conceptualization/Quotes
- “The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light.” [3]
- “In order to use color effectively it is necessary to recognize that color deceives continually.” [4]
- “We are born of light. The seasons are felt through light. We only know the world as it is evoked by light.” [5]
- “…visual truth lies in the structure of light.” [6]
- “Lighting Design is about light and not engineering. You have to understand about light and the physics of it, but mainly, it’s about having a vision.” [7]
- “What is it you wish to see?” [8]
- “Light is life!” [9]
- “Light should not interpret architecture; it must transform it!” [10]
Inherent Qualities & Functions Light [11]
Qualities:
- Intensity (of lighting equipment and/or patterns of light)
- Distribution (narrow/wide, up/down, wallwash/task, etc.)
- Color (warm/cool, subtle/saturated, fidelity/gamut, etc.)
- Change (via controls/movement, scenes/lapse of time, etc.)
Functions:
- Visibility (and visual comfort)
- Form (shape/texture, crisp/dull, etc.)
- Composition (of lighting equipment and/or pattern, rhythm, etc.)
- Atmosphere (attitude/mood, health & well-being, etc.)
Practical Considerations
How Electric Lighting Occurs:
- Location - Where and how it meets the building, or objects within
- Source - Laser (it’s coming), LED, Incandescent, Fluorescent, HID
- Distribution - Narrow, wide, up, down, wall wash, etc.
How Electric Lighting Equipment is Applied*:
- Supplemental - Cylinder, downlight, sconce, task, track, etc.
- Architectural - Built-in such as cove, dome, slot, etc.
- Decorative - Ornamental, expressive form/surface, pattern, etc.
* These may be combined - Example: Downlight with ornamental trim
How to Communicate All of the Above
Consider a Plain-Spoken Approach [12]
The why is more important than the what in this new (plain-spoken) language of light. Ditch the FC, CCT and CRI (technical jargon) when talking to clients. I talk about layers of light (task, ambient, accent), but now I call them the Five Promises of Light:
- Do Better - Light can help you see what you are doing so you can do it faster, more safely, even better.
- Know More - Light can help you know where you are, where you are going, who is with you and what emotions are on their faces.
- Feel Better - Light can help you wake ready for the day, lift your mood, relax easier and even heal faster.
- Focus Clearly - Light can help you focus on what is important to you, whether it be a task at hand, a beautiful architectural detail, the natural beauty outside a window, or a crayon drawing from a child.
- Change Easier - Light can help you adapt to changes in mood, task, weather, season and even age.
How to Proceed - Learn from History [13]
The simplest defining characteristic of lighting, yet perhaps its greatest mystery, is “the process of learning to see". By drawing, speaking and writing our ideas, we increase our chances of communicating clearly. Put people in all your sketches - they might remind you to think about lighting (for) them.
“In front of you is a blank piece of paper that is an opportunity for a work of art - let’s see what you can do.” [14]
Notes:
[1] Howard Brandston
[2] Howard Brandston
[3] Le Corbusier
[4] Josef Albers
[5] Louis Khan
[6] Richard Kelly
[7] William Lam
[8] Howard Brandston
[9] Motoko Ishii
[10] Edward P. Bartholomew
[11] Howard Brandston, inspired by Stanley McCandless (1932) “A Method of Lighting the Stage”
[12] LD+A magazine February 2021, published by IESNA, written by David Warfel, founder of Light Can Help You
[13] Excerpts from “Learning To See, A Matter Of Light” written by Howard Brandston and from lighting-magazine.com, Vol. 48, Issue 04 2016
[14] Leon Friend, graphic design educator, founder of “Art Squad” at Abraham Lincoln High School, Brooklyn, NY
