Lighting in Design Q1 2023

lighting may be used alongside. 14: Consider choosing lighting that can be lowered or increased in intensity as the need arises. As evening sets in and employees prepare to wind up their day, the lights can be lowered in intensity and set to a warmer tone to calm and relax the mind. For employees working at night, ensure that the lighting remains warm, since the computer screen already has a lot of blue light, which can disrupt the employees’ sleep schedule. 15: It will happen at some point that some of the lights will need to undergo repair. Those lights might either go out suddenly or start flickering symptomatically. But the company must ensure that these lights are repaired as soon as possible, particularly if they are placed over workstations or other places where tasks are performed regularly. 16: Office lighting is not just limited to overhead or desk lighting. Lighting is also used for visual appeal, particularly in corporate offices where companies would like people who visit to get a good first impression, much of which can be achieved by good lighting. Nowadays good quality LED lights are available in various shapes and forms. These can be used in visitor’s lounges and over display cases to provide stylish and beautiful lighting. 17: For senior employees who have their own offices, customisable lighting could be an option so that they can decrease the brightness or increase it as and when they need, depending on the task they are busy with. Further, perhaps the department in charge of choosing and installing the lighting could provide a briefing to these employees whenever new types of lights are fixed and perform new functions. This will ensure that the employees understand how to use the lights and that they are used optimally. 18: Another important component of lighting in any public place is safety and exit signage. An office is no different, since so many people go in and out all day long. These signs are important in case a perilous situation befalls the office, so the company must ensure that exit and emergency exit signs are always lit up and are repaired immediately in the event they break down. LED signs are available in the markets now that one can easily use for this purpose – signs using these kinds of lights can last up to 20-25 years. 19: It is necessary to remember that lighting should also correspond to the kind of task it is required for. If paperwork is to be done, or reading,

be comfortable. 10: In case a combination of natural and artificial lighting is being used in the office, it is important to make sure that the sunlight from outside does not create direct glare. If any of the desk spaces or seating areas are placed in direct sunlight, the glare will distract and hurt the employees’ eyes and if it is in close quarters, it can make them feel uncomfortably warm as well. The workstations in such a case should be placed facing the general direction of natural light, but not directly. 11: Different areas of the office need separate kinds of lighting. Areas such as discussion and conference rooms can use ambient lighting, not dim, but less bright than workstation lighting, as the tasks here are not likely to involve much desk work. However, such areas are important zones of the office, where meetings and important conversations may be held. Lighting does need to be paid attention to, but perhaps these zones would do with only a few lights in the form of lamps or standing lamp lights rather than traditional overheads. 12: Consider keeping table lamps as an option for those employees who would like more light just on their desks. Many employees may be working late into the night and, in that case, most of the overhead lights can be dimmed or switched off, keeping only task lights and the desk lamp on for the working members. This will also save electricity and will give employees more options to choose what kind of light they want to work in. 13: Always be cognitive of the fact that where there is light, there will be some amount of shadow. It is important to consider where the shadows will fall and accordingly place light fixtures above or close to workstations. This is particularly true for task lights, which are smaller and angled particularly to cast light over certain points and may hence create unwanted shadows. Positioning in this case is of maximum importance and corrective

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LiD Q1 - 2023