The architecture of light: architectural lighting design concepts and techniques. A textbook of procedures and practices for the architect, interior designer and lighting designer pdfdrive com

THE FIVE LAYER APPROACH TO LAYERING LIGHT
Layer 1: Lighting to choreograph an experience
Use light to create goals, paths and destinations to encourage flow and movement
Layer 2: Lighting to define mood and ambience
Add intensity, color and texture to elicit emotion and encourage a specific use in a space
Layer 3: Lighting to accent objects
Create light that draws attention and encourages interaction by making interesting objects stand out even more.
Layer 4: Lighting to reveal architecture and shape space
Apply light to the features and details of a space to enhance spatial effects and reveal the mechanics of structure and form
Layer 5: Lighting for tasks.
Apply light to task areas to accommodate the basic functions of space
“Focus attention and thought on one layer at a time”
In a perfect world, the designer has the opportunity to look at each of these layers individually, with a mental pause in-between. For a lighting designer, the ideal situation is to become absorbed in the program or “brief” of a project before even thinking about lighting solutions. The next step is to surround oneself with the plans, elevations, diagrams and renderings that define the project. The designer then sets out to generate ideas for added light that might choreograph an experience through the space (layer 1). After exhausting those ideas, the designer takes a break. The designer then returns to the design and thinks of additions of light that contribute to mood and environment (layer 2).
And so the process goes, designing with a specific purpose in mind, looking at
the project each time with fresh eyes. This ideal is not always realistic, but to make the most of a layering system of design, each step should be addressed
individually.
If we stare at a designed space and think merely of “lighting it up” in one fell swoop, we are bound to come up with generic lighting solutions based on utility, habit and fear. Function is the primary objective of any design project, and lighting can make or break the functionality of a project.
Just like a chef adds specific ingredients and seasonings throughout the
preparation of a meal, applying our designed light in layers gives us a depth of design that is not immediately obvious, and certainly not possible if we try to apply all of these ideas in one pass towards the end of the design process.
These layers will be outlined here to give an impression of just how much
can be accomplished with each of them. The power of each layer will become evident as we go on to study the nuances of light and how humans interact with it. With the layer system to guide our thought process, lighting ideas come easily and with purpose. Our design process is more comfortable, and results are much more certain.
This system is the single best tool I know of for empowering a designer of
any expertise level to take command of how light is added to the designed environment.