Lighting Design for Health and

Sustainability: A Guide for Architects

Lighting is an essential element in quality environments that support health and wellness
while reducing energy use.

by James Wilson

The third floor reading space of the Madison Central Public Library, designed by MSR, is designed to receive an
abundance of daylight.
Photo: Lara SwimmerThe
functionality of a building is largely dependent on the quality of its lighting. In order to safely
and comfortably perform their tasks, occupants need lighting that provides adequate visibility without causing
discomfort or distraction.

But a focus on quality is also the key to achieving sustainable lighting.

As Nancy Clanton, CEO of Clanton & Associates, advises, “Don’t design for energy savings; design well, and the result
will be incredible energy savings.” By creating quality lighting conditions in their buildings, not only will project
teams provide functional and comfortable spaces, but they’ll also achieve efficiency.

And because the lighting in a space has such a significant impact on how people use that space and how they feel
while in that space, it is critical to the human-health component of sustainability. Lighting affects not only the
performance and productivity of occupants but also, more critically, their well-being. High-quality lighting, beyond
providing basic comfort, can protect and promote health.
 Efek pencahayaan
Seperti desain akustik, desain pencahayaan dapat memiliki efek positif atau
negatif pada orang, terutama di ruang di mana banyak orang menghabiskan
banyak waktu, seperti sekolah dan kantor. Penelitian telah menunjukkan korelasi
positif antara kondisi pencahayaan yang berkualitas dan peningkatan
produktivitas serta nilai ujian siswa yang lebih tinggi. Studi juga menunjukkan
bahwa pencahayaan berkualitas memiliki dampak positif dalam pengaturan
perawatan kesehatan — misalnya dengan meningkatkan suasana hati dan
persepsi staf dan pasien. Sebaliknya, kondisi pencahayaan yang buruk dapat
menghalangi cara orang bekerja, belajar, dan menyembuhkan dengan
menyebabkan gangguan, ketidaknyamanan, dan kelelahan.
Mendapatkan cahaya yang tepat sangat penting. Seperti yang dikatakan Bob
Harris, FAIA, kepala sekolah di Lake | Flato Architects, "Jika Anda tidak melakukan
pekerjaan dengan pencahayaan yang baik, Anda tidak akan melakukan pekerjaan
yang baik secara arsitektur." Dia menjelaskan bahwa pencahayaan sering
diperlakukan sebagai masalah sekunder, mengambil kursi belakang untuk
pembuatan bentuk. Terlalu sering, menurutnya, arsitektur dipahami sebagai objek
untuk dilihat dari posisi yang terpisah daripada sebagai habitat untuk dialami dan
hidup di dalamnya.
Dan tentu saja, selain memengaruhi kegunaan, kenyamanan, dan kesehatan, cara
sebuah gedung menyala juga memengaruhi dampak lingkungannya.

What do we mean when we say sustainable lighting?

As part of an integrated approach to sustainable lighting design, project teams should avoid lighting strategies that
contribute to light pollution.
Photo: Mike Knell. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.A
wide variety of sustainability issues intersect with architectural lighting. Though
this report will largely focus on energy efficiency and occupant health and wellness, it is important to also consider
the following related concerns when developing an integrated approach to sustainable lighting:

 Light pollution—Project teams should avoid over-lighting, prevent light trespass, and consider potential
impacts of lighting on the plant and animal life of the surrounding ecosystem, as well as on neighboring buildings,
places, and communities.
 Life-cycle impacts of lighting products—Lighting designers should work with manufacturers over
time to reduce the embodied energy and carbon cost of fixtures, luminaires, and lamps. To help extend the life of
the building and further reduce environmental impacts, when appropriate the lighting should be designed so that
it can be easily retrofitted and adapted to align with future technology advances. (See Modular LED Lighting
Enters the Mainstream and Product as a Service: Buying the Lumen, Not the Lightbulb.)
 Chemicals of concern—Project teams should advocate and work with manufacturers to, over time,
reduce the level of toxic materials in lighting products. For example, compact fluorescent lights, which contain
highly toxic mercury, have to a large extent been replaced by LEDs, which do not contain mercury.
However, sometimes LEDs are manufactured with high levels of lead and heavy metals. And some LEDs also
contain copper, which can create an environmental hazard if it accumulates in waterways. (LEDs, despite their
long life, will eventually need to be replaced. They can be disposed of in regular landfills, as they are not currently
regulated as hazardous waste.)

High quality, low energy

The information offered in this report generally revolves around lighting design that provides building occupants with
the highest-quality illumination possible—providing comfortable and safe environments in which to complete their
tasks—while using as little energy as possible.

According to the Energy Information Administration, in 2010, lighting in U.S. commercial buildings required 297
billion kWh of electricity—about 22% of total commercial building electricity used in the nation. But technology has
been rapidly evolving, and it’s becoming ever easier and more cost effective to drastically reduce the amount of energy
consumed by lighting. In fact, LEDs have become so efficacious that additional gains in efficiency are small. The point
has been reached where many in the lighting industry, who now see energy efficiency as a given, are turning most of
their attention to the human-health component of sustainability and the ways that quality lighting can support it.