Procognitive window 6 – Lighting should be an essential element of any building. What to look out for when planning?
As much natural light as possible. Make the most of the daylight in the space: make sufficient use of windows, skylights or other sources of light.
Supplement the light coming from outside with artificial lightingthat mimics natural light as closely as possible.
Involve an experiencedlighting designer in your lighting project. They will draw up a detailed plan of the optimal lighting solution.
The detailed design must include
- Types of luminaires and their location (we will talk about how to choose them another time)
- Lighting control: Consider controlling the light intensity during the day.
- Power: Want to control the light intensity? Then you need five-wire wiring.
- Wiring: the number of outlets must correspond to the total number of luminaires. Do you expect increased moisture or dust formation in the space? Use special types of cables and luminaires.
- Building structure: Consider that the building structure must respect the chosen lighting – both in terms of load capacity and preparation for installation (e.g. cut-outs in the ceilings)
To sum up: Don’t leave lighting to the last minute. Dedicate enough attention and time to planning your lighting. Do not forget the role of light for the body of the users, do not prioritise the design of the space and luminaires over sound distribution and characteristics of the emitted light in the areas where you engage in activities during the day. It’s about your health, vitality and well-being!
