Architectural lighting design

Architectural lighting design is a field within architecture, interior design and electrical engineering
that is concerned with the design of lighting systems, including natural light, electric light, or both, to
serve human needs.

The design process takes account of:

 The kind of human activity for which lighting is to be provided

 The amount of light required
 The color of the light as it may affect the views of particular objects and the environment as a
whole
 The distribution of light within the space to be lighted, whether indoor or outdoor
 The effect of the lightened system itself on the user
 The objective of lighting design is the human response, to see clearly and without
discomfort. The objective of architectural lighting design is to further the design of
architecture or the experience of buildings and other physical structures.

History

Gas lighting was economical enough to light streets in major cities starting in the early 1800s, and
was also used in some commercial buildings and in the homes of wealthy people. The gas mantle
boosted the luminosity of utility lighting and of kerosene lamps. The next major drop in price came
about with the incandescent light bulb powered by electricity.

Concept

Architectural lighting design focuses on three fundamental aspects of the illumination of buildings or
spaces. The first is the aesthetic appeal of a building, an aspect particularly important in the
illumination of retail environments. Secondly, the ergonomic aspect: the measure of how much of a
function the lighting plays. Thirdly is the energy efficiency issue to ensure that light is not wasted by
over illumination, either by illuminating vacant spaces unnecessarily or by providing more light than
needed for the aesthetics or the task. Cultural factors also need to be considered; for example, bright
lights was a mark of wealth through much of Chinese history.

Day lighting

As the Sun crosses the sky, it may appear to be red, orange, yellow or white depending on its
position. The changing color of the Sun over the course of the day is mainly a result of scattering of
light and is not due to changes in black-body radiation. The blue color of the sky is caused by Rayleigh
scattering of the sunlight from the atmosphere, which tends to scatter blue light more than red light.

For colors based on black-body theory, blue occurs at higher temperatures, while red occurs at
lower, cooler, temperatures. This is the opposite of the cultural associations attributed to colors, in
which red represents hot, and blue cold.