Maximisation of natural light in any space is desirable for well being of the end users. But after all, the artificial lighting is indispensable in today’s life.
The artificial Lighting sets the mood, perceptions, and energy levels for the space. Depending on the function and desired effect, there are three types of artificial lighting
- Ambient lighting
- Task lighting
- Accent lighting
It is the kind of lighting used for the day-to-day working. These lights allow you to function smoothly without creating harsh glare to your eyes and promotes comfort level of brightness. These are also known as mood lights or general lights.
There are various types of ambient lighting available in the market for your perfect space. These are Chandelier, Ceiling mounted fixture, Wall-mounted fixture, Traditional recessed fixtures, LED down-lights, Track light and Floor lamp.
It is used where you need to create the concentration and focus working. It is usually used on the office working tables, study tables, and reading units. These are also called office lighting because lighting plays a greater part in our office productivity.
Table lamp, Desk lamp, Wall lamp, Kitchen island lights, Pool table lights, under cabinet lights, Washroom lights, dressing area, and Vanity lights are some of the lights used as a task lights.
These are usually placed to create the on areas such as textured wall, artwork display, books display, unique collections, pieces of furniture and general architecture. It is also used in pathways, museums, historical monuments.
The right use of these three defines the quality of the space and the mood it invigorates.
Apart from function and aesthetics there is one more parameter that is ‘The efficiency of any light’.
It is measured with the amount of light it saves to make the building more efficient. For example, LED lights are more efficient than fluorescent as they save the light and money. So efficiency plays a major role in light designing.
No matter how good and efficient light you produce but if you don’t know how to place and where to place, it would not create the impact you are looking for. Because light depends on the five attributes which are important to an understanding before installing any light.
The first quality of light is the ‘intensity’. It is the total quantity of light flux moving towards a surface. The light arriving at the surface is measured in ‘lux’ or ‘foot-candles’.
The second most important attribute of light is the ‘brightness’. It changes the whole perceptive and the feeling of the space. Perfect brightness in the space makes the place seamlessly comfortable and beautiful. Technically, brightness is the amount of light reflected from an area or emitted through an area or surface. With the advancement in automated lighting technology, many companies have made the functioning of light easy by just a few taps.
These days lighting can be controlled through “remote” to create the effect you desire at your perfect timings. You can change the brightness from 100 percent high to as low as 5 percent, to create pure, natural and acceptable colours to the eyes. These remotes allow you to change the light individually or the group of lights together and make your life simplified better.
The third component important in understanding the nature of light is ‘spectral colour’. It is the colour evoked by a single wavelength of light in the visible spectrum, or by the narrow band of wavelengths. A great range of automatic LEDs is available in the market which gives the perfect colours for the mood and can be controlled through a remote control with the colour changing technology which can change the colours of light up to 30 tints.
The fourth quality is ‘diffusion’. It is the reflection of light from a surface which reflects the incidental ray at many angles rather than one angle. This results into creating the uniform light spread. High quality LED lights are available in the market which does not flicker making it eye friendly.
The fifth is the ‘direction and motion’. These days’ motion and direction of light are widely used in building façade, interiors, in the lobby, pathways, malls, museums and even in the bathrooms. Statistics show that the movement in the light creates an undefined impact on the user and makes them feel different which leads designers to use more of it and create the trend.
If the lighting is placed above the eye level it can produce a restraint feeling to create a “formal atmosphere”. On contrary, if the lighting is placed below the level of an eye then it creates the feeling of individual human importance, converting it to the “informal atmosphere”.
Whether it is an office space, public space, hotels, malls or a residence, lighting designing is an essential part of interiors and exteriors of the building. Lighting brings an emotional value to architecture, it draws attention to colours, textures, and forms of the space.
Lighting creates an amazing experience for those who occupy the space !