Architectural lighting design serves and enhances sure architectural components to foster, set up or emphasize a constructing’s aesthetic, historical past and goal—its ethos.
Architectural lighting could be related however just isn’t precisely the identical as lighting design. The previous’s focus is with structure. The latter’s consideration is commonly ergonomic or purposeful — any facet which improves one’s potential to reside, work, operate, calm down or play — to verify gentle is optimally used and distributed.
Architectural lighting is the intersection of artwork (structure), design and know-how (lighting). Different fields of endeavor additionally come into play, equivalent to physics, engineering and the psychological and physiological results of sunshine.
The Significance of Lighting in Structure
Structure is an expression of values.”
– Norman Foster, Architect
Lighting can affect an individual’s temper and their connection to an area. Whether or not historical past, identification or values, the options of a constructing can inform a narrative. Architectural lighting can work to carry the story to life.
Widespread Purposes of Architectural Lighting
Architectural lights are merchandise which could be personalized with varied choices. These merchandise may also be known as specification-grade lights.
LED lighting technological progress and flexibility affords architects and lighting designers the power to attain extra inventive designs. This permits the designer to spotlight architectural options with out visually revealing the fixture.
A few of the commonest purposes of architectural lighting are cove lighting, uplighting, linear recessed, floor and suspension lighting.
Cove lighting—which could be mounted to a ceiling or wall—casts a gentle glow to spotlight sure design options such because the wall design pictured above on this yoga and meditation studio.
A current case research includes a West Hollywood, California, health studio which used linear LED floor lighting to create the impression of touring by way of the galaxy on the pace of sunshine.
Uplighting, a type of oblique lighting, is commonly used to showcase notable structural ceiling options such because the metal beams pictured above.
Last Thought on Architectural Lighting
Lastly, start to ponder what story your constructing could also be telling and, specifically, which components you could need to emphasize and produce to life.
Architectural lighting features to intensify and showcase structure. Structure and lighting ought by no means to be aesthetically at odds. They strengthen each other and should work as two components of an built-in, entire human expertise.