The other day one of our clients forwarded me an article from the German Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). It was such a great read that we tried our luck in translating it to tell you more about its’s findings. Bert Schweer was interviewed in this article.
He discusses cold morning light, cost-cutting in the wrong location, and why adequate lighting is just as crucial as proper ventilation in relation to how it affects human health.
Bert Schweer places a great deal of importance on good lighting. This is a crucial part of good architecture and design, according to the lighting specialist. In the article they were interested in finding the best locations and configurations for lighting in homes.
The question was: Can numerous light sources be turned on simultaneously in these circumstances?
He even advise people to dim their lights properly while turning on several lights in various rooms of the house. To save money on power, it’s a mistake to switch off all the lights save one. The illumination is substantially worse despite the small cost reduction.
Why is it worse?
On the one hand, it has to do with the uniform distribution of light and shadow and its relationship to the psychological impacts of light. On the other hand, the diurnal cycle is followed by the biological impacts of light. This balance is absent when there is only one source of light. Like air, light has a specific role in maintaining human health. It is far more pleasant to have two or three dimmed light sources than one bright one, such as in the ceiling or as standing and wall lights. However, you can still conserve energy by dimming all of the lights and using only high-quality LEDs. They are undoubtedly more expensive, but they can be dimmed without flickering, they use less energy, and they last 50,000 hours at their maximum load.
What factors are most crucial when looking at lighting?
He says it’s all about air, light, and acoustics in modern building. These three factors determine whether a structure is good or bad. It has to do with health. They deal with poor lighting all day long as lighting consultants and make corrections using these precise guidelines. If lighting is awful, it’s either poorly placed, employing the incorrect luminant, inadequate, or difficult to regulate. It is not a lighting concept if there is only one cable for a light in a 30 square meter area, unless rails are extended throughout the space. Lights must be brought where they are required and must be appropriate.
What else can go wrong when installing lights?
It begins when lighting wires are haphazardly installed in new building without taking into account where we need them and for what reason. Unlike lightbulbs, which are diffuse, LEDs are produced on chips and shine in a specific direction. Preventing blindness when light is coming from the side is the main objective. Little silk or cloth doilies are a thing of the past. It involves maximizing the lighting. These days, lights are so energy-efficient and bright that a small quantity of electricity is required to produce a lot of light. Additionally, Brett observes the usage of inappropriate luminant materials, particularly in retrofit applications, which are far too fragile and have a brief lifetime. Additionally, some “energy saving lights” have harmful components and significantly shorter lifespan than LEDs
Which type of lighting is better, direct or indirect?
Ambient, supplemental light (indirect light) is preferable. This might be a spotlight mounted on the wall shining up against that wall. It advances from reflection. At first sight, you don’t even recognize the source. For specialized tasks like reading or working, direct light is best. The light source is immediately visible. Indirect lighting would require excessive luminance if you tried that.
Commonly, the same bulb that was hanging off the same dingy cord when you moved in is still there when you leave. Brett poses the question. Why is it so difficult to install the right lighting in a home or apartment?
Unfortunately that’s the depressing truth, and he deals with it every day. They perform 70 percent of their work in existing homes, running new wires and occasionally disassembling everything. Only because no one considered where the lights should go during the construction. Often, it takes years for people to realize that the illumination is to blame for the unsettling impressions of living inside the home. You might buy new lamps, but nothing truly changes. You don’t even bother if you know you’ll be moving out soon because the wiring was already incorrect in the first place. You may produce incredible luminosity above 1,000 lumens with a 10W beam. That is very effective. Dimming is the ambience’s lifeblood. He prefers it when the dining room’s ceiling is lit rather than the table. It illuminates the space itself and emits enough light to illuminate the table.
What kind of light should you use for this?
He suggests installing a pendant light over the table.Llight ought to be located over a conference table, exactly like it is over a dining table. In the best case scenario, the same may be said of the kitchen. It is ideal that the light falls on to the surface from 70 to 80 cm away, and it is even better against the ceiling. You are not rendered blind by the light, even at very high luminosities. By the way, people often get blinded by their light by sitting at a table.
How can proper illumination balance the darker winter months?
Changing the color temperature of your light will allow you to more naturally reflect the daily rhythm of light. So, in order to wake up more quickly, he rises with a color temperature above 2700 or 3000K. He actually needs 4000K in the office since it makes everything quite bright white while also enhancing focus. He suggests a cooler temperature in the evening. Around 2200K, it becomes less white and more golden, almost like a candle. For the body, this is highly beneficial.
So, is it a matter of placement or is indirect light always more pleasant than direct light?
The light from a reading lamp should shine on the page, not directly at you. It’s not the light source, it’s the way it’s used. We illuminate works of art, sculptures, and even fireplaces. In a space with more indirect lighting, but yet enough to give off a definite sense of comfort. People simply state that they think it’s good and pleasing without even immediately noticing it.
What distinguishes primary from secondary light sources?
What emanates from the light source itself is primary. A surface that reflects the light, like a white wall, is secondary. Unimaginably vital in rooms is the way these interact with one another. A fun challenge is setting up objects with lighting and arranging them in a space. particularly towards the later hours.
What about dimly lit spaces, particularly in winter / during the colder months when the sun is scarce?
He likes to utilize a lot of indirect lighting, particularly powerful wall floodlights. You can only cover the ceiling for places with big surface areas. Because it reflects widely from the ceiling and into the room, it gives the impression that the ceiling is higher and promotes tranquility. One time, they had to light a pitch-black apartment. As a result, we made the decision to strategically aim light sculptures and paintings.
Sadly lighting is what people think about the least when it comes to well-being, but it has a big impact.
For a layperson this can be difficult to grasp. And he would recommend to consult with a lighting specialist.
But as a general guideline. He says you should consider the activities that will be taking place in a certain room. What happens as soon as you go through the front door, where do you spend a lot of time sitting, and what activities are happening where?
To determine where to best position the lights, he occasionally composes lengthy screenplays that detail people’s daily activities.
In summary, proper lighting is as crucial as clean air for reducing stress.