LIGHTING & ACOUSTICS

INTRODUCTION
The simplest definition of light is visually perceived radiant energy".
Visible light is just a small segment of the electromagnetic spectrum a
broad range of radiant energy which also includes X-rays, ultraviolet and
infrared energy, micro-waves and radio waves.
As visually perceived radiant energy, light powers the mechanism of sight. It
is light, reflected from objects to our eyes, that allows us to see.
Of all our senses, sight is the most dominant, controlling and defining how
people perceive the world. And yet its impossible to prove that any two
people see a given object in exactly the same way.
In fact, it often seems that visual perceptionan individuals response to
lightis extremely subjective. This makes it difficult to define and measure
specific attributes of light.
Furthermore, changes in light can change peoples perceptions.
A dark alley, for example, provokes an entirely different reaction than one
that is brightly lit. Lighting, therefore, can have a profound effect on
peoples emotions and how they respond to an environment.

LIGHTING & VISION

The sun, stars & electric lamps are visible to us because of the light they
generate.
Most of what we see, however, it is visible because of the light that is
reflected from the surface of objects.

Our ability to see well- that is, to discern shape, color and texture and to
differentiate one object from another-is affected not oly by the amount of
light available for illumination but also by the following factors:
Brightness
Contrast
Glare
Diffusion
Color

BRIGHTNESS

Brightnessis an attribute ofvisual perceptionin which a source

appears to be radiating or reflectinglight.
In other words, brightness is the perception elicited by
theluminanceof a visual target. This is a subjective
attribute/property of an object being observed.
brightness,inphysics, the subjective visual sensation related to
the intensity of light emanating from a surface or from a point
source.

Even though these objects may be uniformly illuminated, their surfaces differ in
brightness according to their
Color
Value
Texture
Ability to reflect light

Harmonious distribution of brightness is important for sharpness

of vision and sensitivity to contrast, contrast being relatively small
differences in brightness.
Setting the brightness too low can again cause strain, decrease
the visual stimulation and therefore also work performance.
Darker surfaces in the room can work against the harmonious
distribution of brightness and can cause feelings of oppression and
anxiety.
Brightness = illumination x reflectance

Contrast in brightness aids perception of shape & form

CONTRAST

Contrastis the difference inluminanceand/orcolorthat makes

an object (or its representation in an image or display)
distinguishable.
Invisual perceptionof the real world, contrast is determined by
the difference in thecolorandbrightnessof the object and other
objects within the samefield of view.
The maximumcontrastof an image is thecontrast
ratioordynamic range.
Contrast is also the difference between the color or shading of the
printed material on a document and the background on which it is
printed, for example inoptical character recognition.

Surrounding area (3) should range from 1/5 to 5 times

the brightness of the task area (1)
3:1 is the maximum recommended brightness ratio
between the visual task area and its immediate
background (2)

Contrast using colors

GLARE

Glareis difficulty seeing in the presence of brightlightsuch as

direct or reflectedsunlightor artificial light such as
carheadlampsat night. Because of this, some cars include mirrors
with automatic anti-glare functions.
Glare is caused by a significant ratio ofluminancebetween the
task (that which is being looked at) and the glare source. Factors
such as the angle between the task and the glare source andeye
adaptationhave significant impacts on the experience of glare.

SOLUTIONS FOR GLARE

Locate light fixtures out of the

direct glare zone

Reduce the brightness ratio

btw the light source & its
background

 Exterior
window
shading
strategies to
avoid glare

 Use well sheilded or baffled fixtures

that minimize direct view of bulbs or
lamps.

DIFFUSION
Light diffusion
Light diffusion (how light is spread) can
significantly decrease dazzle and glare from the
different surfaces and objects in a room.
The more diffusely and evenly the light is spread
the better dazzle and glare are prevented.
Light diffusion can be defined as the ratio of the
diffused reflected light to the totally reflected
light.
1. Reflection from a bright polished metal
surface or a mirror.
2. Reflection from an ordinary painted surface
causes glare at certain angles.
3. Diffused reflection fromEcophon
Akutexsurfaces prevents glare and dazzle.

 Diffused illumination reduces

contrast & shadows.
Concentrated source of light,
incandescent downlight, produces a
directional light with little diffusion.
This enhances the perception of
shape, form surface texture.
Diffused light is useful for general
vision.
Can be used to provide visual
accents, brightness variation.

 Examples of diffused
lighting used in interiors.

COLOR
Color and Light
We tend to think of objects as having fixed colorsan apple, for example, is red.
In reality, an objects appearance results from the way it reflects the particular
light that is falling on it.
Under white light, the apple appears red because it tends to reflect light in the
red portion of the spectrum and absorb light of other wavelengths.
If a filter is used to remove red from the light source, the apple reflects very little
light and appears black.
The fact that the color makeup of light can change,means that shifts can occur
in the color appearance of objects illuminated by it.

 All Light Is Not the Same

Direct sunlight at noontime is an almost perfectly balanced
light sourceit contains all colors in nearly equal quantities.
But daylight does experience color shifts. The color
appearance of objects changes dramatically in early
morning or in the shade.
Electric light sources can also exhibit variations in color
makeup. Incandescent lamps tend to produce more red and
yellow light than green and blue, and appear to be warm
in color.
Because of the way incandescent light is produced, little can
be done to manipulate its color characteristics.
With fluorescent and high intensity discharge lighting,this
latest technology makes it possible to manipulate the color
makeup of a given light source.

 White Light and Bright Colors

Generally speaking, whiter light (comprised of equal amounts of all colors)
makes colors appear more natural and vibrant.
However, some portions of the spectrum are more important to a lights color
makeup than others. Red, blue and greenthe primary colors of lightcan be
combined to create almost any other color.
This suggests that a light source containing balanced quantities of red, blue
and green light can provide excellent color appearance even if this light
source is deficient in other colors in the spectrum.

DAYLIGHTING
The source of all daylight is the sun. its light is
intense but will vary with the time of the day, from
season to season and from place to place, it can also
be diffused by the cloud cover, haze, precipitation or
any pollution that may be present in the air.

 Daylightingis the practice of

placingwindowsor other
openings andreflectivesurfaces
so that during the daynatural
light provides effective
internallighting.
Particular attention is given to
daylighting while designing a
building when the aim is to
maximize visual comfort or to
reduce energy use.
Artificial lighting energy use can
be reduced by simply installing
fewer electric lights because
daylight is present, or by
dimming/switching electric lights
automatically in response to the
presence of daylight, a process
known as daylight harvesting

High window openings allow daylight to

penetrate more deeply into an interior
space.

Locating window adjacent to

perpendicular wall maximizes light
entering.

DAYLIGHTING EXAMPLES
Bidirectional lighting lighting from 2 directions
raises the level of diffused light in a space and
reduces posssibilty of glare.

 Provision of skylights
Flat & domes skylights

Tubular skylights