Lighting design is the art of applying different types of lighting to any space in order to give it distinct qualities. In order to do that, lighting designers first need to understand the requirements of the place, what the owner wants it to convey, the type of people working there, the purpose of lighting, and the mood it should set. Then, the place is layered with different kinds of lighting.
Layering is the foundation of lighting a space but it is only the first step to meeting the specialized needs of any workplace. To achieve distinct effects in a workplace through lighting, a variety of techniques are also used. These are:
Downlighting
Downlighting is one of the primary techniques used by designers to show special effects with lighting. Light is dispersed downwards from a light source to either softly illuminate the place or to aid with the intense and critical tasks. This effect can be achieved with a variety of equipment and can allow the light to spread uniformly or non-uniformly.
Uplighting
Uplighting refers to dispersing light above the light source. It is used to highlight prominent architectural features or objects to create a visually appealing effect.
Cove Lighting
Cove lighting is used to illuminate or lighten up the perimeter coves. This allows the architectural features to stand out and the light reflected from the ceiling and the walls helps in setting the ambiance as well.
Wall Washing
Wall washing is used to uniformly light up a wall, eliminating the shadows and revealing the flat surface. This creates a neat and sophisticated ‘washing’ effect which gives the place a smooth finish and makes it look comfortable to the observers.
Wall Grazing
Unlike ‘wall washing’, this technique is more suited for walls that have a distinct texture such as brick or stone walls. This technique requires light sources to be placed closer to the walls so that shadows are produced for aesthetic effects.
Sparkle
This technique is used in high-end places to reflect elegance and grace by distributing small and glittering dots across the place.
Silhouetting
This technique is used to render silhouettes of objects through backlighting. Depending on the purpose, this backlight can either be diffuse or intense. It is also used to highlight the aesthetically pleasing and important object in a workplace.
By utilizing these techniques, a lighting designer can set various moods for the workplace and give it distinct qualities. A good lighting designer needs to know where a particular technique will be required and how it is going to be complemented along with others to fulfill the needs of the people working there.
