Lighting is one of the most influential elements of any space. Perhaps no other factor exerts more influence over a subject’s visual experience than light. It illuminates, colors, soothes, and enlivens. Light can warm or chill, blind or guide. It was in the beginning and can be the finishing touch. Though light in itself eludes our full comprehension or simple definition, a talented lighting designer can wield it to great effect to show off a building, set an ambiance, or create a specific visual environment.

1. oncepts
C
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc.
Winter 2014
Designing with Light
Lighting is one of the most influential
elements of any space. Perhaps no other
factor exerts more influence over a subject’s
visual experience than light. It illuminates,
colors, soothes, and enlivens. Light can warm
or chill, blind or guide. It was in the beginning
and can be the finishing touch. Though light in
itself eludes our full comprehension or simple
definition, a talented lighting designer can
wield it to great effect to show off a building,
set an ambiance, or create a specific visual
environment.
What is Lighting Design?
Lighting design is an intentional, informed
process of selecting appropriate light fixtures
(technically referred to as luminaires) and
properly placing them to achieve a desired
objective for appearance, form, and function.
Simply stated, lighting design is planning how
to illuminate a subject, whether that subject
is an object, person, or space. The process
requires collaboration, creativity, and practical
problem solving; it is not randomly selecting
and placing an assortment of fixtures and
hoping for the best.
Lighting as a Design Element
Daylight
Designers have been using light for many
years now to help showcase their subjects
and spaces, and it’s easy to see why.
Any space or building can be lit to create
incredible effects and influence the observer’s
visual experience. Louis H. Sullivan, an
American architect and important mentor to
Frank Lloyd Wright, put it this way, “A building
can fulfill no purpose,
either utilitarian or
artistic, without the
use of light.” His
statement indicates
a strong connection
between lighting
and architecture.
Lighting gives life
to architecture.
It establishes
visual hierarchy
and defines structure and space, creating
interest, influencing mood, and providing
the appropriate visual environment
while elevating the viewer’s architectural
experience. It is this aesthetic component
of lighting that makes it so useful, and
designers make use of two categories of light
to complement their design themes: daylight
and electric light.
Lighting designers use daylight to bring a
refreshing element to a particular space.
With the sun as its source, daylight has
a unique power designers can use to
enhance occupant satisfaction, while
raising productivity and conserving energy.
Sunlight is essential for life, our health,
and well-being. Lighting designers work
with architects
and engineers to
take daylight from
its usual places at
building entrances
and perimeter
windows and
introduce it into
the deeper places
of occupied
buildings, to
satisfy our innate
need to be more connected with the
world outside. Lighting designers employ
creative technologies to make the most
use of daylight, including clerestory
windows, light shelves, and
light tubes. These devices diffuse, reflect,
or channel daylight without adding a lot
of additional heat. In this way, the
building also uses less energy for
illumination and air-conditioning.

2. Exercise #1
Exercise #2
Take a moment to think of a comfortable
place you like to spend time. Visualize it in as
much detail as you can remember, and then
answer the following questions:
Now think of a place in which
you avoid spending much time.
Visualize it as you did for the
previous exercise, and then answer
these questions:
• What makes this place pleasant?
• oes the lighting contribute to your overall
D
comfort?
• hat makes this space offensive or
W
uncomfortable?
• s the light source warm, inviting, and
I
comfortable?
• oes the lighting contribute to your
D
discomfort?
• re the light levels appropriate? Are you
A
able to adjust the light levels?
• hat type of lighting does this space
W
have?
• re any walls, ceilings, or other surfaces
A
accented with lighting?
• oes the space feel cold, sterile, or
D
unnatural?
• s color used?
I
• s the space too bright or dim?
I
• ow would you change the lighting to
H
make the space warm and inviting?
Color
Electric Light
Daylight can only be only a partial lighting
solution because our lighting needs do not
perfectly align with the rising and setting
sun – enter electric light. Electric light has
evolved over nearly 140 years. In addition
to the incandescent lamp, other sources
have been widely used: linear and compact
fluorescent, low- and high-pressure sodium,
metal halide, and halogen. Today one of the
most promising light sources is the lightemitting diode (LED). The U.S. Department
of Energy predicts that 36 percent of all
lighting will be LED by 2020, and 74 percent
by 2030. The wide acceptance of LED
lighting technology has the potential to
reduce lighting energy consumption by 50
percent. Innovations in lighting drive new
technologies that seek to improve the old
in a continual search for better ways to
illuminate our world. Even today, lighting
technology is rapidly changing and it is
difficult to predict what future technology
will be available in 10, 20, or 30 years.
Another important aspect of light available
to designers is color. Lighting designers
use different color temperatures, or even
light sources with color, to create a specific
feel for their intended subject. In a coffee
shop, designers use a warmer light (lower
color temperature), say amber, to promote
relaxation or comfort. By contrast, in an office
environment, designers may use daylight and
sources with mid-range color temperatures
to enhance concentration. In modern office
environments, designers often blend warm
and cool (blue) light to promote health and
productivity. Common areas are lit warmly
to support comfort and reduce stress, while
work areas make use of natural light during
the day and cooler light at night to enhance
productivity. In most cases, light sources with
high color rendition are preferred because
they illuminate their surroundings with the
truest color.
Color can also be used outside to add a sense
of drama to a building’s façade or revitalize
a historic bridge. Human beings respond
to color, sometimes without
being aware of its effects. When
used appropriately, color can
add beauty and visual interest. It
enhances details and provides us
additional information about our
surroundings. LED light sources and
digital control systems allow light
sources to change from one color to
another. Technology has made color
more available, affordable, and
easier to use.
www.ftch.com/concepts
Lighting’s Impact
Clearly, lighting is central to an individual’s
experience in an environment, and lighting
designers are increasingly recognized as
essential contributors to the overall design
process. Building owners and managers
are aware that good lighting design has
the potential to add value, reduce costs,
and enhance building performance; and
that occupants and patrons prefer well-lit
environments in which to work, shop, or
recreate.
Lighting plays a significant role in our daily
lives. Good lighting design is the finishing
touch; it ties all of an environment’s elements
together to present a harmonious design.
For more information regarding lighting design,
please contact Roger Maddox, P.E.
rmmaddox@ftch.com.