Light Play

- Ar. Alex Shrestha

Light defines our lives, it inspires and motivates us. It gives meaning to our lives and illuminates our senses. We use light to define what we see, how we feel, and what we do. Light is also an artistic expression and we paint with illumination using various lighting methods to add dimension, depth and drama while humanizing our built and natural environment.
Lighting can be a tremendous force in architectural, interior and landscape design. It is the factor that helps merge all the architectural elements together. Lighting also has a profound impact on our physical, physiological and psychological health. Quality lighting design can boost productivity and overall performance, reduce fatigue and eyestrain. When people see well and feel good, they work or relax better as light can affect mood and motivation levels. 
But sadly, despite having an intuitive understanding of the importance of light, we often fail to give it adequate consideration when planning. We give every single object or space its appearance, tone and impression through how we light it, however we still add lighting as an afterthought. Once the overall architectural design and interior layout have been established, opportunities to provide a well-integrated quality lighting solution are severely limited. Early decisions such as ceiling height, window size, and placement along with surface finishes are all critical to the effect lighting will have on a space.  Hence, lighting needs to be brought in as an integral design element along with all the other design factors at the initial phase of design. Lighting is not just an option; it can make or break a good design.
Understanding the importance of light quality is one thing, but achieving it in your own environment is something else.  Home and office owners need to learn something about lighting design as well, so that you will not be lost when making important decisions about your living spaces. Your goal is to create a final design solution that reflects your unique priorities and objectives.
We can achieve lighting effects that are as flexible as our lifestyle, energy efficient and less intrusive within a reasonable budget, without dramatically changing the way we live. One of the best ways to ensure a quality lighting plan is to arrange for the collaboration between your architect, interior designer, and a lighting professional.  A lighting specialist can either manage the actual lighting design or serve as a consultant and also bring unique skills and knowledge to the design process.
The key components of quality lighting
Light has four specific duties: to provide decorative, accent, task and ambient illumination.  No single light source can perform all the functions of lighting required for a given space. The blending of these lighting components creates a holistic lighting solution but the most successful lighting effect achieves its magic through its invisibility, if you see the light source then there is no magic.
Ambient lighting provides the overall illumination in the work environment. Direct ambient lighting distributes light directly downward.  These lights often create shadows and screen reflected glare, and contributes to an overall sense of dimness in a space. On the other hand, indirect ambient lighting distributes light upward and reflects off the ceiling. When applied, it can reduce direct and reflected glare to a minimum. Its soft, diffused illumination is more comfortable for users and creates an overall sense of brightness.
Task lighting is illumination for performing work related activities such as reading; the optimal task light is located between your head and the work surface and this supplements ambient lighting by filling in shadows and provides additional light needed for focused work that requires higher light levels.
Accent lighting completes the lighting environment and is a powerful element of a lighting system and thrives on subtlety. It can be used practically to provide fill light to finish and balance the ambient light. It can be used artistically to highlight unique objects or reinforce an aesthetic tone and draw people through a space or provide visual relief in areas without daylight and create dramatic effects.
Accommodate the individual. Our lighting preferences are shaped by the number of hours and the time of day we work and relax, as well as personal life styles, our ages, and even our cultures and habits. Introducing task lighting and lighting controls such as dimmers are good ways to help people adjust lighting to meet their individual needs and preferences.
Support the task at hand. Lighting requirements vary based on the type of work being performed. Working with files and documents, working on a computer, and working face-to-face in teams or just relaxing at home, cooking or entertaining your guests, all these activities require distinct lighting conditions. People should be able to see their work without suffering under insufficient or excessive luminance and glare. 
Energy efficiency. Lighting represents as much as 25 percent of your electrical use, so it is a significant part of your monthly utility bill. One easy way to reduce your bill without sacrificing the quality of your home lighting is to replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights which use less energy and last longer. Furthermore, keeping ambient light levels lower and making better use of task lighting will help minimize energy consumption by concentrating light where it is needed most. Combining this with the use of energy efficient sources and intelligent lighting controls will allow the creation of a lighting plan that supports user performance.
Integrated controls. Lighting controls, once a combination of switches, are now a pre-programmed lighting control system designed to support multiple work tasks and activities in an environment. This centralized lighting control system allows you to set the perfect mood in any space with a single touch. It’s easy to install and operate, and elegantly eliminates the need for numerous light and dimmer switches. Occupancy sensors, which automatically turn on lights only when someone is present, also save energy and money.
Integration. Lighting should not dominate the space and should be completely integrated with the architecture and reinforce the design aesthetics intent of the space to help orient the user understand their environment.
Integrate natural light. Natural daylight can reduce the demand on the electric lighting system. Windows and skylight provide the added benefit of exterior views and the ability to connect to the outside. However controlling glare and excessive light levels from daylight is as important as integrating it into the design.
Reinforce your identity. Light forms the perception of space and gives visual directions as to what can be expected. A well-designed lighting environment supports a professional, positive atmosphere and reinforces an individual or organization’s image and culture.
Maintainable. A good lighting layout is of little value if it is not, or cannot, be maintained over time. A quality lighting plan considers the location, durability and serviceability of lighting components. It also considers the owner’s overall commitment and ability to maintain the lighting system over its lifecycle.
Evaluate periodically. The nature of your lighting system will dictate how often you need to revisit and re-evaluate your lighting plan. A good rule of thumb is that you should revisit your lighting plan whenever there is a substantial or significant change in  workplace environment (remodeling),  work process (paper based work to computer based work),  work force (an ageing work population), workplace technology (larger computer monitors), lighting technology (advancements in lamp technology). n
Alex Shrestha is a professional architect with over 15 years of experience working in this industry in Nepal, South East Asia and Europe. He can be reached at alex@wonaw.com