Lighting Design for the Professional Workspace

Most offices today are too lit. To prevent this, it is advisable to layer your lighting such as task and ambient lighting.

In the past, workspaces were a colliding combination of cabinets and cubicles. Computer terminals and conference areas also filled up the corner of much needed space. However, recent technological changes have helped to transform the appearance and ambiance of the modern workplace.

Thanks to current research and emerging practices, insight have revealed that attention to office lighting design goes a long way to improve workplace productivity, staff comfort and ease of collaboration.

Repurposing the office lighting design

Recent studies have revealed that most workplaces are over-lit. The light intensity cast on the surface is measured in foot-candles (fc). According to Engineering body, IES, 30 – 50 fc is the recommended range for ambient office lighting, however, many workspaces go beyond 60fc.

The Applications Solutions Manager at GE, Jason Brown says that workspaces that are too bright may impact the energy cost of the building. Experts researching the effect of light intensity in the workplace have developed a layered office lighting design that provides a good solution for over-lit offices.

This design, based on the ambient/task concept and using LED-localized task lighting produced 50% savings in lighting energy and delivered significant user satisfaction.

Ambient office lighting

It is always a key advantage to be able to direct light where it is needed, and modern advanced LED optical designs make this possible. New LED solutions provide dual benefits of efficiency and aesthetics. Recessed ceiling lights can enhance the appearance of the lit space when “on” and at the same time be devoid of visible light when switched “off”.

Office lighting task

If you need to add a touch of vivid accents to your office walls, conference rooms or lobbies, the compact LED Lighting systems provide a wide range of solutions. These ultra-thin LED bulbs make it easier to obtain a layered lighting look because they can be mounted beneath desks, cabinets and narrow spaces other appliances can’t fit into.

Designer office LED fixtures

In this fashion-forward category of LED lighting design, both localized and ambient illumination are provided. The thin and uniformly lit LED lighting fixture produces versatile lighting patterns, including effective task downlighting and diffused ambient up-lighting. The technology maximises application efficiency and performance of all LED in the collection.

Lighting controls

Technological breakthroughs in lighting controls are among today’s workplace evolution. This responsive technology delivers energy savings as well as improves employee satisfaction. In the US, a recent evaluation in the performance of occupant-responsive lighting tech revealed variations in energy savings ranging from 27% – 63%, most of which were attributed to how each space was used.

Spaces where employees needed variable lighting as they moved around the office showed the highest savings, while spaces where employees stayed at their desk most of the time had the lowest figures. The studies further showed that staff were generally more satisfied with retrofitted lighting. They attributed this to its reduced glare and better light-quality.

If you are an entrepreneur or facility manager, it might benefit your company to adopt variable lighting patterns for more cost efficiency.