Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Visual Comfort & Visual Interest
| Content Provider | Scilit |
|---|---|
| Author | Stiller, Michael |
| Copyright Year | 2020 |
| Description | Book Name: Quality Lighting for High Performance Buildings |
| Abstract | As we’ve already discussed, in a visually comfortable environment there is a sufficient quantity of light to reliably complete tasks, glare is minimized, and the luminance, or brightness levels, within our field of view are held within a certain range. Many factors will contribute to the visual comfort of an indoor environment including the number and position of windows, whether or not there are window treatments, the color and specularity of the surfaces, the size and shape of the room, the positions of the occupants within the space, and of course the lighting design itself. Visual interest is a phrase we use to describe lighting features that attract our attention, delight us, stimulate our visual sense, and provide for luminous variations. Visual interest may convey a mood, reinforce the shape or form of a space or building, or even tell a story. With lighting, the vocabulary at our disposal is mainly one of intensity and color. We create visual interest with light by varying the amount of light on different surfaces in a space, delineating new shapes or reinforcing existing shapes with highlights or shadows, and by manipulating the color of the environment. Interestingly, the qualities of light which usually enhance visual comfort—lower contrast ratios and subdued highlights—when taken to extremes will work against us when the aim is to create visual interest. Balancing the tension between these competing (and equally important) elements in lighting design is then a key part of the lighting designer’s task. In general, we strive for even illumination on surfaces, or at least smooth transitions between areas of differing brightness, and we try to 30avoid variances in the amount of light in task areas where the occupants are engaged in similar activities. It can be tiring and disorienting to have your eyes constantly readjusting as you go about your day. On the other hand, if the brightness of all surfaces is too much alike, that environment can be lacking in visual interest. In addition, having a little more light on our work, or on a displayed object, than on the surrounding surfaces, can help focus our attention in a desirable way. So, while we usually design to keep the treatment of a given surface lit to the same brightness, we also look for opportunities to create visual interest with a complementary rhythm of lighting levels that may change from surface to surface, or from architectural detail to architectural detail. This technique can also serve to help define, outline, and accentuate the architectural form of the space we are lighting. |
| Related Links | https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2011-0-16150-0&isbn=9781003151685&format=googlePreviewPdf |
| Ending Page | 39 |
| Page Count | 11 |
| Starting Page | 29 |
| DOI | 10.1201/9781003151685-5 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| Publisher Date | 2020-12-17 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Book Name: Quality Lighting for High Performance Buildings Architecture Treatment Extremes Building Lighting Occupants Brightness Architectural Visual Interest |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Chapter |
