Talieh Ghane researches the interaction between light and health at the California Lighting Technology Center. We talked about the biological vs. visual system of light, how to synchronize your circadian clock for better health, how light is like a drug, and why you shouldn’t be on your phone right before bed (guilty).
The Continental Congress passed an act establishing an official flag for the new American republic on June 14, 1777. President Truman declared June 14 as Flag Day August 3, 1949. Anyone considering displaying America’s flag for Flag Day today or on Independence Day on July 4th might want to give some thought to proper illumination.
The term Architectural Lighting encompasses three main factors. The first is the building’s aesthetic, which is crucial for any commercial, especially retail, environment. The second consideration is ergonomic or functional — any aspect which improves one’s ability to live, work, function, relax or play — to make the space easier to use. The third aspect involves the efficiency of energy, ensuring that light is properly, which is to say economically or optimally, used and distributed.
A color rendering index (CRI) is a quantitative metric of the ability of an artificial light source (i.e. LED, Fluorescent, Halogen, Incandescent, etc.) to accurately reveal the colors of a subject in comparison to a natural light source. A CRI of 90 means that the artificial light source is replicating roughly 90% of the visible color spectrum that the sun would produce on the same color.
Unlike wireless lighting systems like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Mesh is designed for large collections of devices, numbering into the thousands. Switches, HVAC, sensors, light fixtures, and shades can communicate with each other by forwarding a message, or command, across all the devices in that Bluetooth chain until reaching the destination to perform said operation, (i.e. turn ON the 3rd floor office lights). The communication, instead of passing through your WiFi router, comes from the originating device and travels from light fixture to sensor, to AC unit, to any other chain of Bluetooth Mesh enabled devices, like a Bluetooth highway or a body’s central nervous system, until the command reaches the lights on the 3rd floor.
As architectural designs have digressed from symmetrical and parallel mirroring patterns that align with vaulted ceilings, grid axis, and more, linear lighting allows architects to highlight asymmetrical architectural features and lines (which is where the term “architectural lighting” comes from). The lighting design pattern of 2019 is no design pattern.
How much light is enough light? Below you’ll find everything you need to know when determining how much LED lighting you’ll need for a space. A lumen is a unit measurement of light. To determine the needed lumens, you will need to multiply your room square footage by your room foot-candle requirement.
When designing for a retail space, it is important to consider not only the design aesthetic that needs to be achieved but also the patron and the intended experience.
Lighting design for retail spaces vary from displaying delicate pieces of jewelry to endless shelves of apparel; and when it comes to coffee shops, the detail and effort into lighting design is no different. Min Cho and Jill Enomoto, directors of store design for Starbucks, share their tips on how to use light to welcome and guide customer experience.
It’s widely known that lighting can affect one’s mood — hence the common term mood lighting. But the degree at which your mood is affected by lighting might surprise you. In 2014, the Journal of Consumer Psychology published a study that found the more intense the lighting, the more affected and the more intense the participants’ emotions were — both positive and negative.
After outgrowing its headquarters several years ago, Amazon invested in its hometown — building some 40 buildings in downtown Seattle while keeping a focus sustainability. Six of the buildings on Amazon’s Seattle campus have been awarded with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification for sustainable design and construction methods, while 20 of the buildings were built using LEED standards.
Products can demand attention with the help of proper lighting. This means an open floor plan with tactical attention to lighting fixture placement, brightness, color temperature, and CRI. The ability of LED Lighting to meet these technical requirements is what makes it the #1 choice of lighting designers and architects.
Often seen or touted as idealistic, zero-carbon cities are now seen as an obtainable goal by most local elected officials and becoming a goal of many cities across the world. Reaching net-zero emissions is considered a necessity for the future of the environment with many cities across the country currently working towards the goal of zero-carbon emissions, including Boston, Denver and Portland, Oregon, which all have committed to reducing energy use by 80% or more by 2050.
Even some of the world’s most stunning architectural masterpieces need a little help getting gussied up for the camera. It’s not that the light in the room itself is bad, in fact, the designer most likely executed everything in the room around light. But, when it comes to the lighting within interiors, it can get tricky when the camera comes into play.
When it comes to office lighting, most workplaces are faced with outdated systems that are wasting both money and energy. It’s a disappointing fact as extensive research has shown that office lighting plays a major role in the productivity of office workers. It’s been proven that LED lighting that mimics or compliments natural light leads to greater productivity amongst workers as well as having a significant affect on an individual’s happiness and circadian rhythm.
Have you ever had trouble falling asleep at 2am after binge watching the latest season of House of Cards? Ever pulled an all-nighter then felt strangely awake and alert after walking outside into broad daylight? Ever spent all day at the beach only to sleep like a moss-covered boulder later that night? It probably comes as no surprise that light has significant effects on the human body.
The best hospitality and dining lighting creates a home away from home—making a guest feel warmth and comfort by creating an environment that either promotes feelings of relaxation or sets the mood for romance. Ideally, the guest glides effortlessly through the space, unaware of the thought and planning that went into the lighting design and layout.
I caught up with event lighting designer Raymond Thompson of Images by Lighting the week before the Oscars and right smack dab in the middle of awards season. Thompson, whose credits read like a highlight reel of Hollywood’s most star-studded events, was at Raleigh Studios prepping for the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s annual Night Before the Oscars gala.
