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 FUNDAMENTAL TWO-STEP PROCEDURE FOR LIGHTING DESIGN
This improvement in lighting understanding can be defined by a 2-step procedure of lighting design that we will adopt: Lighting specifics first and augmenting the ambience second.
Step 1: Light Specifics First
This step relies on taking time to recognize where we want to put light. We first identify the tasks, accents and local visual effects that are integral to our design. We visualize ourselves with the ability to “paint” light onto these surfaces as if with a paintbrush or spray can.
Figure 3.2 An unlighted space (left) with light mentally “painted” onto its surfaces (right).
Figure 3.3 How the lighted effect might look (left), How it might look with an added ambient ingredient (right).
After lighting these specific surfaces, we step back and look at the overall lighted effect of our designed space; we assess the effect against our project or space specific design goals, such as comfort, uniformity, contrast and visual interest. Every piece of light we direct onto a specific surface lights not only the intended surface, but goes on to inter-reflect – that is: bounce from one surface to another – to add a secondary “glow” of uniformity. Understanding this “inter- reflectance” is crucial to visualizing how we are building light into our space one ingredient at a time.
Step 2: Augment the Ambience or Perceived Brightness
It is only after we have assessed the overall effect of lighting our specific surfaces that we can determine whether our space needs supplemental lighting to introduce a different spatial ambience. If we do determine a need for a greater overall perception of brightness, we now know that light onto the most visible and appreciated surface; the vertical surfaces will most efficiently achieve this goal.
YOU CANNOT LIGHT AIR
This two-step procedure is in stark contrast to the idea of first “filling up” a space with uniform light only to go back attempting to create elements of visual interest through additional accenting. Our discussion of adaptation reminds us that vision is based on contrast, not absolute brightness. We discern detail, not by how much light is on an object, but from contrast between one object or surface and another. A statue that is twice as bright as the wall behind it will grab our attention, regardless of the actual measured light level. Therefore, if we flood our spaces with light first, we will end up wasting that much more light trying to draw out surfaces and objects within the already bright space. If we instead identify and paint light onto specific surfaces and objects first, we succeed in creating the contrast and therefore “visual interest” and brightness that we intend. This contrast will remain intact as we augment our design with additional “fill” or “ambient” light.