How Lighting Can Be Utilised To Enhance Building User Experience
Although often underestimated, lighting design has a significant impact on the way a building is perceived, experienced, and understood. Good lighting, whether natural or artificial, has the ability to completely elevate a space as lighting is the medium through which users are able to view and appreciate their environment. Moreover, lighting directly impacts how building users feel, affecting their productivity, comfort and health. It is therefore the building designer’s role to create a space that is not only functional, but attractive and socially useful. This is the mark of a good building which people enjoy spending time in.
Moreover, lighting also offers the user an experiential value. The use of lighting in architectural design should not only deliver a functional purpose, but an aesthetic one. Sight is the primary sense through which we experience and enjoy architecture, and lighting plays a pivotal role in our perception of it. Lighting can highlight colours, textures, shapes and forms within the space, helping to realise an architectural vision.
Designers are constantly trying to envisage the building design through the eyes of the building occupier. If the building is a workspace, they should consider how the design can facilitate productivity, but also how it can enhance an occupant’s mood and wellbeing. Additionally, sustainability is a greater concern than ever making efficiency a key priority. To create lighting which truly enhances the space three factors must be incorporated into the design: function, aesthetic and efficiency. These are three key factors that were taken into consideration in the lighting design at Prince Edward Hall, University of Hertfordshire.
The Vision Behind The Lighting At Prince Edward Hall
The project involved the creation of a multi-use learning space for incoming students. Prince Edward Hall was designed to facilitate informal learning by individuals and groups in a stimulating and friendly co-working environment, with a view to modernise this outdated space and implement new features for use by students and staff. New LED lighting was installed in a modern geometric pattern to revitalise the space, paying homage to the University’s reputation in engineering with specialist lighting that emulates a circuit board.
Claire Bennett, architect at Vincent + Gorbing commented on the architectural ambitions for Prince Edward Hall: “The concept for the ceiling was loosely based on a circuit board layout which provokes energy and power for a vibrant, inspiring design. The circuit board lighting hangs from a metal grid structure at five metres from the floor level which creates a lower ceiling and that sense of enclosure the client aimed to achieve. The lighting products were from Synergy Creativ. This company was chosen as the lighting elements are bespoke and made in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, which is just down the road from the university ensuring a low carbon footprint.”
The Importance Of Functional Lighting
Function was a vital consideration in the lighting design, it needed to serve its fundamental purposes, as well as be aesthetically pleasing and ambient. The aim was to create a visually comfortable environment for students and staff whilst providing flexibility for the users to create their own lighting scenes for various teaching and recreational functions. Moreover, appropriate lighting levels, colour temperatures and distribution reduce eye strain, fatigue, and headaches, thereby enhancing overall visual comfort which were all objectives on this project.
Aesthetic Appeal Is Key
Aesthetic design was the next deliberation, focusing on the impact lighting will have on occupants’ mood. Thoughtful lighting choices, such as accent lighting, decorative fixtures and dynamic lighting scenes can enhance the architectural features, create focal points and set the desired mood and atmosphere within different areas of the building. Well-designed lighting can positively influence student wellbeing; therefore, a lighting scheme was used that incorporated colour rendering and provided appropriate lighting to contribute to a positive and uplifting atmosphere, reducing stress levels and promoting a sense of comfort. Additionally, dynamic lighting systems have been shown to improve alertness, productivity and mood were all ambitions for the space.
Incorporating Energy Efficient Lighting
Finally, in the current era of green building and sustainability, the aspect of energy efficiency holds significant importance. As well as engaging and efficient lighting layout, creating a captivating arrangement that prioritises energy efficiency was an objective. By incorporating energy-efficient lighting technologies and creating reliable solutions, energy consumption can be minimised, in addition to reducing operational cost and contributing to sustainability goals. On this project, LEDs were chosen instead of fluorescent lighting to reduce wasted light due to the directional nature of LEDs. Energy-efficient lighting not only reduces operational costs but also aligns with sustainable practices, reinforcing a positive environmental impact that can further enhance wellbeing.
Building User Feedback
Commenting on the newly refurbished Prince Edward Hall, Thomas Baker a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire commented, “Our newly refurbished teaching space in Prince Edward Hall has transformed the type of learning we can conduct in that space. We have moved to a more collaborative and experiential type learning and the newly refurbished Prince Edward Hall facilitates that beautifully. Seeing it for the first time, visitors and students have been truly impressed, and the modern sleek interior decorating has really made an impression. The lighting is especially striking and the strip lighting which mimics the layout of a circuit board not only looks great but echoes the engineering activities happening below”.
In summary, effective lighting design in buildings can have a profound impact on occupant wellbeing by providing visual comfort, improving productivity, enhancing mood, optimising task performance, and promoting energy efficiency. By prioritising and investing in thoughtful lighting design, facilities managers can create a healthy, engaging, and productive work environment for their building users.
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