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How to desing your office lighting to improve productivity

The workplace is where most people spend the majority of their day. Therefore, office conditions must satisfy the most optimal and favorable conditions for employees so they can feel fully comfortable and achieve the maximum productivity expected by their supervisors.

One of the most influencing factors for a well-designed working environment is the lighting. From lighting density to satisfaction levels, research has demonstrated that health, well-being and most of all the productivity of an individual, relies on the correct lighting configuration. According to the illumination specialist ERCO, the lighting of corporate spaces relies on 5 main objectives: to represent the corporate and brand image, to be oriented effectively by the space, to promote concentration and productivity, to facilitate communication between workers and to foment inspiration by creating an environment that incentivizes inspiration and creativity.

Michele Casarin, a Design Group Latinamerica director, has summarized the following recommendations of how innovative design can optimize the productivity of the labor force, based on the principal objectives of lighting design for corporate spaces:

Corporate Project in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Employ a combination of optimal lighting strategies

A majority of organizations don’t take into consideration a preliminary lighting design; creating plain spaces that abhor office ambience, which inherently affects its employees. We recommend the usage of a fusion between general, individual and accentual lighting depending on the outlining of spaces and the activities performed within them.

General illumination is a standard strategic concept which unfolds in every space,  its main purpose being to provide a uniform level of illumination throughout the entire office. For this purpose, luminaries with horizontal radiation are proposed, which are mainly employed in workspaces due to their ideal visual communication. Likewise, it is also possible to consider the projection of light towards the walls and the roof in order to simulate ca greater, more brilliant and less claustrophobic space.

In some cases, zenithal illumination is not sufficient by itself and must include localized illumination in every employee’s workspace. Its benefits reside in its capacity for these small lamps to provide concentrated light exactly where the worker requires, allowing them to possess control over the lighting necessary for their work.

Adding to these two functional lighting strategies, accentual lighting helps to improve the visual character of an office. “This type of illumination helps highlight the main architectural elements of a space, providing a new dimension of visual comfort,” says Michele.

Avoiding Glares

Glares are a common problem for illumination design. This phenomenon occurs when a brilliant light source or reflection interferes with the way an object is visualized and can occur in a direct or indirect manner. Direct glares can occur when there is a brilliant light source directly in the operator’s field of vision while indirect glares rely on different sources. This mainly occurs when light is coming in from the window or the lighting is reflected in shiny surfaces such as screens, desks and other office equipment.

Glares can also severely affect the quality of an office space’s illumination, generating visual discomfort. The most efficient method for avoiding this is to employ luminaries with low intensity such as LEDs and positioning these in an appropriate manner. Thanks to its prismatic anti-glare diffuser, LED lighting Is a popular choice for corporate projects.

Color Temperature is Important

The best kind of illumination an office can have in order to optimize productivity is the classic natural light. Unfortunately, there aren’t many existing offices that are the sufficiently privileged to have constant access to natural light, forcing us to imitate its characteristics through the usage of a similar lighting design.

Bright white light, while being able to efficiently help people to visually complete their activities, can also affect the human circadian cycle, the biological clock, mood and state of alert thanks to the brightness and the longitude of its wavelength. Thanks to this, many light designers have opted for the employment of a controlled lighting system that is synchronized to the circadian rhythm, varying color temperature and intensity throughout the day.

“The latest illumination design trend is circadian illumination. There are numerous studies that show that this strategy designed specifically to maximize productivity, has numerous benefits for the workforce,” claims Casarin. Some of the additional benefits include: added alertness in the morning, improvement in productivity, concentration and mood, reduction in hyperactivity, mistakes and accidents and an improvement in cognitive performance.

One of the ways to implement this strategy in your space is by setting up an adjustable white light technology. This is also known as variable white illumination or white hybrid, which is defined as a system with the capacity to control the temperature of a light source. Utilizing a remote control or an external color system, you can select the desired temperature through the usage of a light bulb or illumination strip with different LED lights of varying temperatures. Nonetheless, if it isn’t possible to implement such a strategy, it ifs recommended to utilize a light temperature between 4000K and 5000K.

Play with the scenery

In corporate spaces, it is very easy to fall for the monotone and boring, ultimately affecting the mood and motivation of your workers. This is why it is important to incorporate a dynamic lighting design that varies the ambience depending on the time, activity and day, contributing to the inspiration between concentration phases and stimulating the worker’s productivity. However, not only must the color temperature change, but the intensity of each group of luminaries.

Incorporate a good design

The aesthetic quality of a design is essential for its functional utility, which is why we recommend that spaces must be packed with personality and style that can be translated as well-positioned decorative lamps or unique and fun patterns. Remember that your workspace and how your workers feel within them is proportional to their productivity, mood and general well-being.

Take advantage of spaces that provide you with the due design flexibility for the dining rooms, hallways, lobbies and recreational areas, to create unique spaces that can offer your workers a respite within their own work.

Optimize energy usage

Even though employee’s comfort is essential, there is still a great demand for energy efficiency. Any lighting design must achieve a balance between worker productivity and energy consumption. “Studies show that when you give the employees control over a space, they are more productive and they consume less energy,” assures Michele.

Consider automating your office’s lighting, seeing as this will help optimize lighting usage, while saving energy and keeping your company environmentally responsible. Additionally, a lighting control system can provide up-to-date information over the state of the luminaries, reporting actual or potential damages and guaranteeing safety for your office and employees.

Do you need help developing your corporate project? Through our multidisciplinary platform, we work directly with you to materialize your Ideas In a functional and sustainable manner for your spaces. Contact us for more Information.