Office lighting Trends
Illuminating
Luminaires
Different types
of lighting
Task lighting
Indirect/direct
the future
Easily accommodates
office churn
Individual
Can be controlled
Achieves good vertical
illumination
A range of technologies is set to transform the face
Doesn’t require an
electrical contractor to
of office lighting, with clients, architects and even
install
interior designers at the forefront of change
Can be capitalised so
tax-efficient
Carina Bailey reports
Needs a user
Microprismatic
I
nterior designers could become the lighting European standards for lighting indoor workplaces
designers of the future. Furniture, wallpaper and are currently being considered and, if they are accepted,
Highest planning
freedom
even paint are expected to be the new sources of the Society of Light and Lighting will change its
light. recommendations, says Le Manquais.
Precise conical prisms
generate an all-around
Clients are already requesting lighting to be a subtle The European review is looking at the illuminance in
homogeneous brightness
part of their surroundings, rather than a uniform volume area, illuminance requirements for ceilings and
and make direction-
pattern of luminous squares on the ceiling. But it is the walls, the modelling index and DSE screen luminance
neutral light planning
possible
development of OLEDs (organic LEDs) that gives this limits, which will “make people try to do what’s been
prediction some weight, according to some experts. in the code for years – to make good assumptions so
Due to the drastic
reduction of the radiant
OLEDs may be expensive to make now but are you end up with something that’s efficient,” adds Le
intensity under angles
expected to become much cheaper than LEDs, and Manquais.
of 30 to 65 the reflective
their energy consumption will be even lower. Lighting Downey argues that this is forcing the lighting
glare of 20,000 cd/m
2
,
achieved by conventional
will no longer only come from the ceiling, and issues industry to choose one of two directions – to measure
louvre lighting technology,
such as screen luminance limits are expected to “go light or to satisfy human needs. Increasingly these
is reduced to below
out the window”, leading to a whole new set of codes, two objectives are causing friction, he says. “Often
4,000 cd/m
2
when using
Micronic, thus promoting
according to Tim Downey, director of international
health and comfort
lighting designers Pinniger and Partners.
“There’ll be wallpaper that lights up, furniture that
lights up – light fittings themselves are not necessarily
The European review will make
Microprism
going to continue to appear in their present form,” people do what’s been in the
Direct and reflected
glare-free office
Downey told a recent Society of Light and Lighting
code for years – make good illumination, due to
seminar on office lighting. structure with up to a
Mobile technology is also expected to have a major
assumptions – Peter Le Manquais
million conic prisms
influence. “The offices that we currently know are High vertical illuminance
going to change. The biggest driver of that is [mobile these two conflict, and common sense seems to have
resulting from an even,
balanced luminosity
technology],” Downey adds. “Technology is allowing gone. Look at the progress we’ve made – everybody
[businesses] to get people together virtually. Maybe the is committed to producing a better environment for
45 per cent direct, 55 per
cent indirect
[Underground station] is the office of the future.” people, but it’s still largely statistics-led.
Peter Le Manquais, technical director of office “If you conform to the various tables and graphs,
Balanced illumination of
the light-emitting area
lighting specialist WILA, says there are three basic then it’s perceived to be good lighting. But what we’re
human needs that lighting has to satisfy: visual starting to see now are designs that don’t necessarily
Transparent trapezoidal
tapered linear prisms
comfort, visual performance and safety. To achieve conform to those criteria but are still good lighting.”
these there are reams of guidance, recommendations Designing lighting purely to suit the raft of
High 80s LOR
and standards available. recommendations and standards can lead to clients
Source: WILA
“If you follow the guidelines you tend to get a space installing their own solutions, like free-standing task
that looks OK,” Le Manquais says, but lighting designers lighting, which Le Manquais describes as a good
could end up “chasing their tail” trying to get more light solution and makes changing the office – for new or
on the wall using certain luminaires, he argues: “The existing clients – very easy. Often, lighting is ripped out
more light you put on the task, the more light you need and started again when new clients move in.
Shutterstock to get on the wall because of the ratios.” Controlled dimming, putting in more wiring and >
www.cibsejournal.com May 2009 CIBSE Journal 41
CIBSEmay09 pp40-42 lighting.indd 41 4/30/09 5:43:56 PM
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