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Effective Lighting Design

A good and an effective lighting layout plays an important role in enhancing any space and is critical for bringing out the true beauty of the interior design. A well-designed effective lighting design helps to boost sales by increasing the conversion rate in the retail showrooms. In factories and offices, it helps boost work productivity. In homes, it creates a lively warm feeling which uplifts the mood. In hotel and restaurants, it helps in enhancing the customer experience by creating the right ambience.

 

Hence, you should find a lighting expert who can guide you regarding effective lighting design and layout while planning and executing any project. I will provide here what should all be covered and taken care of while you are planning lights for any space.

1. Defining the objectives

Understanding the requirement of the lighting layout is very important.  This is like laying out the foundation of the lighting design by understanding the objective the lighting has to achieve. If this is mapped out clearly, then

 

only better planning is possible. We need to figure out all the possible uses of the space and plan for lighting requirement according to those uses.

2. Layer of lighting

Primarily, there are three layers of lighting that decide which type of lighting layout will suit a place and which kind of fixtures to be used. These are namely ambient, task and accent lighting. The general light required in a space that is the basic amount of light required is called the ambient lighting. Task lighting, as the name suggests, is the light required to achieve a particular task or activity to be carried out in the space. The lighting that is used to enhance the aesthetics of a space or highlight any design features is called the accent lighting. So, any lighting consultant or interior designer needs to map out the requirement of light in these categories and create a proper balance between them. After which finally planning for the lighting layout can be started.

 

3. The requirement of light levels

Now the designer has to decide how much light level is required. For this, there is an easily available standard guide designer can refer to, which gives the suggested light levels for a different kind of space and task. A designer with the help of this guide in consideration with other factors can decide on a suitable light level for any space.

4. Colour of light

Different applications require the different colours of light to be chosen keeping the preference of the customer, that is the user, also in mind. And there are again some common guidelines available on the basis of science which designers can follow. For example, a warmer colour is preferred in bedroom to help people relax and sleep better like the mobiles have night mode these days. This is because white light disturbs sleep at night as per studies. Similarly, lot of similar guidelines are available and should be followed. Nowadays colour tunable lights are also available with which user can simply switch the colour of light with the help of simple controls.

5. CRI of light

In simple terms, Colour Rendering Index (CRI) means the ability of the light to depict accuracy of colour’s shades and contrast in the object it is illuminating. Thus, higher the CRI better it is for the user. Some applications like product lighting in retail require this a lot, hence using a LED of above 90 CRI in such applications is advisable.

 

6. Electrical layout

If a lighting designer needs full freedom in designing the light layout, then it should be made sure that the right planning is done for the electrical layout so the lights can be placed and powered accordingly. Availability of wiring connections and choice of switching is an integral part of the planning of lighting layout. Generally, wiring and electrical layout are decided much earlier than the lighting plan, thus integration and advance planning of lighting layout is required otherwise the designer will be limited by the available electrical layout.

 

6. Selection of lighting fixtures

Designers also select the suitable light fixtures, the wattage of light, beam angle of light, suitable light source, etc. 

7. Use of lighting design software

When the desired lighting level has been decided, then a designer has to use a lighting design software to ascertain how many light fixtures are required of a particular wattage to achieve that amount of the light level. There is no mathematical or another way possible to ascertain this otherwise.

 

 

8. Incorporating lighting layout in the AutoCAD designs

After the lighting layout has been decided by the designer, it should be incorporated in the AutoCAD designs of the space so the whole designing and execution can be done in coordination with other experts.