LED C4
- ellmolloy
- Oct 14, 2020
- 3 min read
Lighting is an essential part of interior design. Designers can utilise it to add dimension, create atmospheres, place importance and even promote productivity in spaces. In previous projects, I have not considered the lighting system in a lot of detail. However, today's session by LED C4 contained valuable information about the benefits of LED lighting and how Designers can successfully use lighting within a scheme.
The presenters, Richard and Jason, began by outlining the advantages of LED lighting. LED is an abbreviation of the word Light Emitting Diode and consists of several tiny chips. The light's size doesn't affect its lifetime as it's between 50,000 and 100,000 hours. LED lighting is good for the environment as it has low power saving energy and is recyclable. I found this most useful as I always aim to use sustainable fittings and fixtures in my proposed schemes.
Both Richard and Jason commented on the versatility of LED lighting as it can change in hue and brightness. These qualities can help enhance an interior scheme. For instance, designers may implement a warm light in a domestic living space to craft a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Whereas in an office, a cooler hue would be more beneficial as it promotes productivity. It's interesting how lighting can significantly affect mood and that artificial lighting may help manipulate individual responses to a room. As my current project is to design an exhibition space, using light to shape visitors responses towards artwork and sculptures would help my concept of curiosity and exploration.
Another topic that the presenters discussed was the layering of lighting. The layers in lighting are ambience, accent, task and decorative. Each of these layers has a different purpose. For instance, ambient lighting fills large areas of space and is usually in the form of downlights and spotlights. Accent lighting is three times brighter. Spotlights, LED strip lights, floor and wall washing are examples of accent lighting. Task lighting supports certain activities. For instance, desk lights support office work. Lastly, decorative lights such as pendants and chandeliers help designers illustrate their design concepts. I have previously attempted to layer different lighting types but was unsure about what kinds of pendants to use. However, today's session with LED C4 and the examples they used to display each layer of light has clarified the benefits of layering lighting and explained how to do this effectively.
To conclude the presentation, Jason and Richard addressed the future of lighting. They discussed the impact of lighting on our physical and mental health. Human beings have an innate connection to nature and natural light. As a result, the pair predicted that lighting technology would become more human-centric. Using lighting with our body clock can make us feel better throughout the day and support our wellbeing. As the pandemic has led to us spending an increased amount of time at home, I think implementing this type of lighting into residential projects (post-COVID) could benefit our mental health.
Connectivity was another advancement of lighting discussed by LED C4. Since we can already connect our devices to lighting via Bluetooth, it's expected that lighting will become even smarter. If lighting is connected to WIFI, retailers may use it to track our preferences as we shop and send advertisements and notifications to our phones. It's a scary concept that one day, lighting will trace our movement within an interior; however, this will help upcoming businesses see what their audience likes.
The LED lighting presentation emphasised how important lighting is in spaces and how designers can use it to their advantage. I will attempt to use Richards and Jason's advice and focus on lighting in my refurbishment of Salford Museum and Art Gallery to support my concept of curiosity.
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