Before The Archtiect - Residential Interior Lighting Design

Lighting Design: 2

BEFORE THE ARCHITECT – BACKGROUND – ARTICLES

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RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR LIGHTING DESIGN STANDARDS a/k/a NIGHTLIGHTING DESIGN STANDARDS:

PART 2 - THE MATH

YOU MAY FREELY QUOTE THE AG WITH PROPER ATTRIBUTION

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Part 2: The Math [hang on mathphobes, this stuff boils down to one number times another number equals a third number - like 2x6=12, like – like that you can take to a lighting professional who can deliver the illuminance goods]

In Part 1, we were presented with a set of rules and restrictions for residential interior lighting in order

To achieve residential interior lighting standards more suitable to aging eyes (which the literature allows begin to need extra light in their 40s)

To translate these new lighting design standards into numerical targets of common metrics readily identifiable in the retail lighting marketplace

	lpW (see Part 1 for variables' definitions) data have been around quite a while
	CRI and CCT data were hard come-by up until the last few years, as fluorescent makers “warmed up” their bulbs, and, particularly, their compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs

Comment: OK, let’s try on an example.

A bedroom has an ambient fc target value of 40, i.e., 40 lm/ft². That’s a given in AG’s book.

The bedroom we’re targeting in this example is, say, 200 ft² in floor surface area.

40 lm/ft² multiplied by 200 ft² = 800 l, our lumen target.

The author is not immediately, if at all, interested in that with which the space gets lighted, that is, not materials at least in so far as luminaires are concerned, but methods are entirely another matter of keen interest to Before The Architect and would usually be extensively specified and guidelined -

except that it be lighted evenly

not interested in specific luminaires –

	by type
	by size
	by site

immediately, interest is in determining lumens for given spaces

materials are for the knowledge of lighting pros and decorators and the personal sense of clients

Comment: Again, Delores, it’s the lumen number for a space coming from the Rules that bridges the gap between your lighting interests and intentions and the folks who know a lot about lighting but not a lot about you

Figure 63: Residential Interior Nightlighting Schedule

Comment: Told you mathphobes so: multiply 40, 70, or 100 times the square feet of respectively lighted surface area, and take it to a lighting professional along with the AG’s rules – The Basics and The Math.

This Nightlighting schedule was presented with extensive notes, including

	Selected types of luminaires are indicated in order to keep perspective broad
	Certain materials are preferred, e.g., brilliant reflectors to get the maximum illuminance out of CFLs
	Rules of artificial, or mechanical, illuminance design are repeated as a fall-back reference
	Methods are highlighted, e.g., layering, dimmers, under-cabinet skirting, etc.
	Materials are recapped, e.g., pendant, sconce, cove, etc.
	Lighting quality hurdles are indicated
	Site-specific concerns about lighting cooler spaces, potentially hazardous glare, cold-weather fluorescent materials and methods, etc. get prominence

The Schedule and related notes get translated in the Electrical Plan in plan view, as excerpted below

This is not about beating a dead horse: texted table, extensive notes, now a floor plan expression of wiring including lighting, whew

This is about taking the wiggle-room out of wiring and lighting design in application

- let the designing be done by designers guiding clients

- then let the installation, the construction begin

Figure 65: Lighting Highlights in an Electrical Plan, View

1) Let’s inspect this drawing for conformity to our lighting standards

a) all but 2 switches are “D” for dimmer

b) switch between bath and bed (space to the left and above) are “L” for lighted

c) vanity lighting is

i) properly set at 66 linear inches over finish floor level and

ii) luminaires are spaced 30 linear inches apart and centered over the lavatories

d) the closet switch is pressure-sensitive, relieving occupants from excess visual and physical distraction in moving between spaces

e) fc are identified by

i) space

ii) value and

iii) type

f) distinction is clearly made that luminaires are illustrative, i.e., final choices of luminaire types, numbers, and sites are to be done by others whose day job it is to do so

g) centerlines are depicted for certain lighting groups because the author has abundant experience in observing how cock-eyed some luminaires get applied when left to installers

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