Lighting systems in office environments.

Good lighting is necessary for all buildings and has three primary
aims. The first aim is to promote work and other activities carried
out within the building; the second aim is to promote the safety of
the people using the building; and the third aim is to create, in
conjunction with the structure and decoration, a pleasing
environment conducive to interest of the occupants and a sense of
their well-being.
The primary source of lighting for daylighting is the sun. The light
received by the earth from the sun consists of two parts, namely,
direct solar illuminance and sky illuminance. For the purposes of
daylighting design, direct solar illuminance shall not be considered
and only sky illuminance shall be taken as contributing to
illumination of the building interiors during the day.
Brief History: From the earliest caves, daylight informed the lives of
the inhabitants, initially in the difference between night and day;
but as dwellings became more sophisticated, by means of openings
or windows letting in light. The history of architecture is
synonymous with the history of the window and of daylighting from
the initial crude openings, letting in light and air, heat and cold, the
window was the vehicle for the introduction of daylight, and
ultimately to the wondrous interiors of the mediaeval cathedral, the
Baroque churches or the many private buildings of the eighteenth
century. The window has developed over the centuries, but its
purpose of letting in daylight has remained its primary role.
Glass had been discovered as early as 3000 BC in Egypt, and was
used for decorative objects, but it is known that small panes of
hand-blown glass set into bronze frames were used for the infill to
window openings during the Roman period. These were little
different to the leaded lights of the mediaeval period, being limited
to the small pane sizes governed by the manufacturing process. It
was left until the seventeenth century for large panes of glass to be
developed in England and for larger windows to be made possible.
The history of windows is really the history of architecture, from
thec rude openings in the sides of early domestic buildings open to
the atmosphere, or openings in the roof construction, allowing the
entry of rain collected in a central pool.

Introduction: When we design an environment we have to keep in

mind that there are different lighting standards that apply for
various kinds of buildings and their functions. Nevertheless, various
analysis should be conducted for every new building we are going
to design based on their shape, geographical position, climatic
conditions, built materials, intetior etc.
In the case of office buildings there are a wide range of solutions,
but always designing based on some traditional standards that are
scientifically suggested for these kind of environments.
Offices are parts of buildings often designed to be used by a high
number of people and in some cases they expect a number of
visitors, or can tend to have increased activity during times of the
day.
The basic architectural components are the arrangement of desks
and chairs, and an enclosed space, which can be enclosed by walls
(or other rigid elements: glazing, steel structures, plants etc) , or
can be symbolically enclosed or positioned in particular spots, as to
signify or highlight the activity held there.
For priority reasons, in this research I concentrated mainly in the
traditional kind of enclosed offices, built for teamwork activity.

The lighting of team offices for small groups is required to fulfil a

number of conditions, as laid down in the standards for the lighting
of workplaces. The requirements include the following quality
criteria: the level and uniformity of the lighting, luminance
distribution, limitation of direct and reflected glare, the direction of
light and shadow, luminous colour and colour rendering.
Other requirements that may have to be met may concern the
correlation of daylight and artificial light, the presence of drawing
boards, and above all the lighting of spaces with personal
computers. Luminances in the space should be balanced and
special attention paid to optimum glare control through the
installation of suitable luminaires. The luminaires used for the
lighting of spaces with personal computers are required to meet
especially stringent standards to avoid reflected glare on computer
screens.
Keeping in mind that we have to design for people, and there will be
held long hour shifts, the environment must be very friendly to the
employers physical and psychological health.
Besides architectural physical components and their comfort
properties (chairs, tables, good temperature conditions etc.)
another important component is light.
Light is very necessary to start operating an office activity, but
another reason why it is needed and why we should consider its
quality and quantity its our overall health.
Based on international health and architectural standards, human
beings need a certain quantity of daylight in order to concentrate
and stay healthy during the day. Daylight its very important in
offices and schools or other similar workplaces, in order for their
participants to develop a high quality working and intellectual
activity.
Lack of daylight is often a factor leading to depression, and lack of
concentration. Especially in long span sedentary activities like
schools, or office buildings a good daylighting strategy is necessary
always keeping in mind that while we deal with it, we also have to
deal with other climatic conditions and overall sustainability.
The primary traditional daylighting system is the window. Which is
still the best option used in all kinds of buildings for human activity.
The window doesnt simply bring light inside the interiors, but it also
helps us communicate with the surroundings, and also helps to
understand different activities held in a building.
1. First there is the question of light for seeing in order to function
within a space. This must vary according to the type of building,
whether a residence, an office or a factory . . . the need may be to
read a book, operate a piece of machinery, or whatever. If it is
possible for daylight to provide this, then we expect it to do so.
2. The natural appearance of a space, where the overall experience,
the objects and surfaces, are modelled in daylight together with the
addition of sunlight at certain times of day.
3. The cyclical change from morning to evening, changes which are
varied still further with the weather and the season of the year. Man
has an innate desire for variety and change in his environment, and
changes in the appearance of a space from time to time provide
this.
4. The orientation which comes with the knowledge of a persons
whereabouts in relation to the outside world. In a totally artificial
environment, a person has difficulty in finding his way inside a
building, a problem which was evident in some of the early
artificially lit shopping centres, where people became disoriented,
having problems in finding their way around the building.
5. The experience of the world beyond the building, by the view to
the outside, whilst this is associated with the factor of orientation, it
has the added aspect of content . . . which can be of open
countryside, trees and landscape, but more often than not of other
buildings and street patterns. What is important is not only the
content but also the experience of something at a distance as a rest
centre for the eye. Daylight is clearly crucial.
6. The experience of natural colour; for whilst the physical colour of
our world as experienced in daylight changes from morning to
night, the changes are a part of our experience; we compensate
automatically, a white wall appears a white wall even if in the
evening it may be warmer, or is coloured by sunlight, or altered by
cloud formations . . . it is the colour we regard as natural.
7. Although perhaps not essential, it is a part of the experience of
the natural world that we should be able to receive natural
ventilation, by opening windows. This is a part of the human desire
for control of his environment, whether this be the light on his work,
or the air that he breathes.

Basically there are some elements to keep in mind when designing

buildings and their daylighing system. Like for example orientation.
The importance of orientation in a building must be considered at
the outset, when the architect is planning the location of the
building on the site, the aim being to ensure the maximum
availability of useful natural light and sunlight to the interior. There
may of course be severe restrictions where the building is set into a
rigid street pattern, or where there are severe external obstructions;
but even in these circumstances the best use of the daylighting
available should be considered. The architect will have the greatest
flexibility to get the building orientation right on a greenfield site,
where he can plan the site layout to take advantage of the sun path
and the availability of the daylight. Taking an example from
residential buildings in the northern hemisphere, and using the
simple fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, it
would be normal to ensure that those rooms which might benefit
most from early morning light, such as a kitchen, morning room or
even bedrooms, are placed on the east side, whilst those more
likely to be used in the afternoon or evening such as living rooms
face south or west. There will of course be debate about the
desirability of selecting a specific orientation for a particular use of
room and it will be up to the architect to discuss this with his client,
and there may also be conflict with the orientation of a room when
associated with the ability to enjoy a particular view. As with all
architecture a compromise will need to be established which best
fits the needs of the interior function. What is essential is that the
orientation of a building and the interior layout takes most
advantage of the daylight available and is a factor taken into
consideration at the outset of the building design. Each
architectural programme whether an office, school or church, will
have its own specific needs of orientation, and this is of special
significance where the interior function is one requiring the
inhabitants to sit in fixed positions, often the case in offices or
classrooms. Another aspect of orientation and one where the mere
presence of daylighting is reassuring, is the subconscious desire of
people when inside a building to keep in touch with the outside
world, whether to know the time of day or the nature of the
weather.
Sunlight- In his major work Sunlight as Formgiver for Architecture,
Bill Lam asks the question . . . The Sun: Problem or Opportunity?
and then proceeds to show how the answer can really be both,
depending very much on the location of the building. Clearly in hot
climates where the sun is overhead for much of the day the
problem is not so much one of welcome, but of exclusion. In Britain
where the sun is all too rare the answer must clearly be one of
welcome, and an early decison when an architect is planning the
orientation of his building is to encourage the entry of sunlight.
Sunlight adds to the overall level of light when it is available, and
adds to those other environmental factors such as variety and
change, modelling and the creation of delight. There is a different
level of experience when getting up in the morning to a sunlit world,
as experienced from the interior of a building, and it is important
that an element of sunlight is available for some part of the day.
Architects have used the sunlight effect in buildings to create a
specific atmosphere, as for example the shafts of light entering the
south side of our great cathedrals; and on a much smaller scale the
use in houses of daylight and sunlight entry from above to provide
necessary functional light to interior areas, where otherwise little
natural light would be available. The impression of sunlight is also
important seen from windows which themselves admit no sunlight,
but where the view of a sunlit landscape or buildings may be
enjoyed. Whenever sunlight is available there is a strong desire to
perceive it, and disappointment when it is unnecessarily excluded.
There is of course the obverse side associated with heat gain and
glare, depending upon the orientation of the glazing, and whether
people working in a building are confined to a fixed position. The
effects of direct sunlight can be a disadvantage. Some control may
be required in certain circumstances at certain times of year, and as
far as heat gain is concerned this is best done beyond the window,
and is of a sufficiently flexible nature to be available only when
required, or if fixed, not to inhibit the view. One of the methods
adopted to control the glare effect is to use forms of glazing which
cut down light transmission; these need to be treated with care to
avoid the impression that the interior of a building is permanently
dim, and some glazing is available which reacts to the external light
available, only cutting down the light when the sunlight is too
bright, and might cause glare. To sum up, the need for the
admission of sunlight is important, the architect must consider this
as a first requirement in planning the location and layout of the
building, but in certain circumstances controls will be needed.

The aims of room daylighting are to adequately illuminate visual

tasks, to create an attractive visual environment, and to save
electrical energy. Both the building design scheme and the
application of systems play roles in meeting these goals. The
performance of a daylighting strategy for rooms depends on:
 daylight availability on the building envelope which determines
the potential to daylight a space;
physical and geometrical properties of window(s), and how
windows are used to exploit and respond to available daylight;
physical and geometrical properties of the space.
In order to operate with all these components we have to develop e
good daylighting strategy. The placement and sizing of windows are
among the most powerful features of architectural design for
daylight. Because the design of windows has a decisive effect on
the potential daylight and thermal performance of adjacent spaces,
it needs to be checked very carefully.
Types of offices vary and all of them need different daylighting
strategies. An example of a program for daylight criteria might
include the following:
Open Office
- Daylight and view desired, occupants have glare control
Private Offices
- Daylight and view desired, individual occupant glare control
Support Spaces
- Minimal daylight or view opportunities required
Building Core
- No daylight or view opportunities are necessary

In an office TI, we assume that window size, orientation, exterior

solar control devices and overall floor plate depth are
predetermined. Yet, the interior designer still has a critical role to
play in creating a design that meets daylighting criteria appropriate
to visual comfort. Placement of the program elements takes into
consideration patterns of occupancy, times of use, and orientation
of the building to determine the availability and best use of daylight
in relation to the program daylight requirements.
The next critical step during programming is to understand the
patterns of light specific to the TI space over the course of a day.
Daylighting simulation software can be used to understand the
distribution of diffuse daylight, while direct sunlight patterns can be
understood quickly with any design software that allows for simple
shadow casting. Remember that sun control performance is only
critical during occupied times.Understanding patterns of light
specific to the TI space is a critical step in the programming
process.
Identify distribution of diffuse illumination and direct sunlight.
Recognize locations of direct sunlight patterns and the time of day
they occur.
When designing for smaller offices that include around 3 persons
we have to keep in mind that they have a higher access to the
systems and can change them preferably during different times of
the day for personal comfort. A combination of daylight with
shading panels and traditional grid lighting can be used,
accompanied by individual desk lighting.
Another case are big open offices, where the structure and
functionally is different and should be analyzed carefully.
The selection and design of open office furniture, especially
workstation panels, requires a continued commitment to the
preservation of daylight and views. Workstation panels must be
kept low (42" or less) and parallel to the direction of the daylight
distribution to ensure the maintenance of views. Where higher
panels (48" or greater) are required for privacy or to create a sense
of enclosure, they should be oriented perpendicular to the
perimeter glazing. Sixty-five inch high panels that are perpendicular
to the direction of daylight distribution can enable privacy and allow
for ample storage without compromising views or creating dark
shadows.Workstations should be designed whenever possible so
that the direction most occupants face while performing visual tasks
(i.e. looking at a computer) is perpendicular to daylight openings.
This helps avoid the visual discomfort occupants experience when
looking into their shadow, or worse, from the excessive contrast
occurring when a visual task area is immediately surrounded by the
brightness of a view to the exterior.
Not only daylighting systems are to be taken in consideration, but
even the interior design components play a big role in this case.
When done in conjunction with the daylighting goals, effective
selection of finishes can substantially improve daylighting
performance. The position and visual character of the back wall,
the wall opposite a perimeter window, can serve a crucial role in
receiving and reflecting daylighting that travels horizontally into the
space. If this wall receives sufficient daylight, and is of a relatively
high reflectance value, it will serve to balance the brightness of the
view through the perimeter windows.
Taking all these in consideration, another method to operate with
daylighting and bring out the best of a building is the application of
sustainability systems, and modern technology.
We are working with two basic souces of light: natural daylight, and
artificial light.
Implicit in the discussion of daylighting design is the desire to
reduce energy waste. This requires that automated controls be
superimposed on the electric lighting equipment.Within the the
context of office tenant improvements, any discussion of
daylighting design implies that the electric lighting in areas with
daylight will be under photocell control. When applied effectively
photocell lighting controls can save substantial lighting power by
reducing/extinguishing electric light output when available daylight
meets workplane illuminance needs.A crucial step in integrating
electric lighting design and controls with a daylighting strategy is
the identification of user expectations with respect to their role in
operating the lighting system and their tolerance for automated
transitions in electric light output when daylight conditions change.
We know that the human eye adapts to a wide range of light levels.
However, jarring and unexpected transitions in light distribution and
intensity have caused numerous photocell lighting controls systems
to be disabled via occupant intervention. This type of occupant
annoyance is what gives lighting control systems a bad name.
Feedback about this behavior has provided guidance for designers:
choose the correct style of control for each space (dual-switching,
step-dimming or continuous dimming) and ensure post-occupancy
commissioning of the system for user satisfaction.
Some systems may include:
Continuous dimming is achieved by using a single ballast/single
circuit that continuously lowers the light output of its lamps from a
maximum 100% output to a low end of 50%, 20%, 10%, 5% or 1%
depending on the ballast type. Ballast cost typically goes up as the
low end dimming range goes down. Controlling for a slow fade-rate
maintains occupant satisfaction.Step-dimming is a confusing term.
It is achieved by using a single circuit that dims all its lamps by
reducing light output (and power consumption) by one or more
steps between full ON and OFF (i.e. 100/50/off). Since all lamps in
the luminaire are affected equally this control choice maintains the
photometric distribution and the aesthetic of the luminaire and is
therefore referenced as a form of dimming. It is designed to be a
low-cost, easy-to-install system which simply uses an additional
input lead for the switching circuit.Dual- or Multi-level switching was
conceptualized using 3-lamp luminaires. By using 2 ballasts, the
center lamp is controlled separately from the outside 2 lamps
(commonly referred to as inboard-outboard). This method of
lowering output and saving energy is achieved by then switching 1
or 2 lamps OFF, providing up to 3 levels of illumination. This
requires multiple circuits to each luminaire and produces a shift in
photometric distribution and the aesthetic of the luminaire. As
energy code restrictions have increased, the use of 3-lamp
luminaires has plummeted because they do not meet code and
illuminance uniformity requirements. For most traditional shared
open office environments continuous dimming is the appropriate
choice. This is because the transition in light level is gradual enough
that it is not noticeable, and therefore not disruptive, to most
occupants. The unexpected and sudden change in light levels
associated with step-dimming or dual-switching should be relegated
to the general service areas such as the break room, copy room,
corridors, stairwells, etc. It also helps if these spaces are not visible
from seated work areas. Another common source of dissatisfaction
is that occupants see fixtures that are obviously de-energized (OFF)
and perceive that something is wrong. This speaks to the need for
educating occupants so that they understand the systems and why
they are used. To overcome this perception, it is imperative that the
lighting designer provide light using sources such as balanced
vertical illumination, sconces, or task lights for work surfaces.
Based on research concentrated on internationally certified articles
and other academic sources of information, here are listed some of
the strategies and design concepts and rules for a good and human
friendly lighting strategy in offices:

1. It is important that direct light is reflected on the tables and

not in the eyes of the employers or their computer monitors,
as this is a highly stressful factor, and is distracting for the
vision.
2. Usually in offices we use regular arrangements of luminaires
for the ambient lighting. Mostly in the form of a rectangular
grid, suiting the rooms shape. The lighting is not related to
individual workplaces, which means that office layouts can be
changed without changing the lighting. This kind of lighting
system can be achieved with Recessed louvred luminaire for
compact fluorescent lamps.
3. When designing the artificial lighting system we have to keep
in mind that there are different kinds of lighting that we should
use in offices. Like, direct workplace lighting, ambient lighting,
wall washers, lights to make doors more visible etc.
Prepared by : Xhorxhina Ismailaj.
Epoka University
Department of Architecture
Environmental Control Studio