Introduction to office lighting

Offices consist of many different types of rooms and areas: work areas, public areas, hallways, meeting rooms, showrooms, kitchens, places for relaxation – each requiring a different kind of lighting. Some spaces must follow specific criteria while other areas can be illuminated with much more freedom. Besides visual comfort, people’s wellbeing and safety are important considerations and lighting can also be directly linked to productivity. Today’s advanced electronic controls can follow different phases of the day and balance artificial lighting levels with natural light. Using warmer tones and low intensity at the beginning and end of the day can lower stress, and using cooler tones during the day can be energizing. This is all part of Human Centric Lighting philosophy and is a very important, even vital, especially indoors where we spend many hours a day in artificially lit environments.