LIGHTING | CALCULATION METHODS AMBIENT LIGHTING MANIFESTO: THE RESPONSE In December, CIBSE Journal published an ambient lighting manifesto, written by four highly respected lighting academics who are calling for a paradigm shift in lighting practice. Here, we print a summary of reactions to the document from leading members of the profession, whose responses can be read in full on our website LIGHTING LIGHTING | | MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE The ambient lighting manifesto Kevin Kelly and Peter Raynham s Peter Boyce, Kit Cuttle, Leading lighting academic ntal change to lighting practice are calling for a fundame P on a and technology often depends rogress in society, science the way interior believe one is needed in paradigm shift and we must By this we mean designers lighting is generally practised. illuminance deliver a specified uniform stop designing lighting to to lighting plane and, instead, give priority on a horizontal working on the visual tasks. focusing just than the space rather this belief: is delivered There are four reasons for necessary to perform a task Today, a lot of the information required. so task illumination is not through self-luminous screens, detail is much reduced, that require visibility of fine g and printing, The number of tasks of good-quality photocopyin partly because of the availability computer power growth in machine vision, and partly because of the important for human health and non-visual responses the task to light attention away from lighting and wellbeing. This is directing on a hypothetical that delivers a set illuminance received at the eye. Lighting be the main functions of is irrelevant to what should horizontal working plane human health space visible and supporting lighting: making the whole and robotics. Light generates visual good lighting by Continuing to define delivered to a nominal task illuminance means we will horizontal working plane and money. miss a chance to save energy Current practice a number of Lighting is undertaken by equipment groups, ranging from designers, and building manufacturers, architects contractors. services engineers to electrical of expertise and These have varying levels so the amount of streams, income different varies but time spent on lighting design in common. They they do have two things their designs, all use software to develop standards and they follow illuminance international produced by national and poses a risk of bodies. To do otherwise be dissatisfied. litigation should the client practice The consequences of current designing for a are many and varied. By on a horizontal nominal task illuminance where it is working plane, light is delivered is not necessary. not needed at a level that wasted. Further, In other words, energy is seen as a be will there is a risk that lighting innovation and simple commodity where price is everything. creativity are limited and The objective shift, the lighting To achieve the paradigm such as standards produced by bodies change from ISO, CEN, CIE and SLL must uniformity illuminances and illuminance minimum ambient on a horizontal plane to as the illuminances, which is defined indirect flux field the of density flux average It involves within the volume of a space. of light in consideration of the distribution to relate to the space and can be expected Left to right: Kevin Kelly, Kit Cuttle, Dr Peter Boyce and Professor Peter Raynham way to quantify the nonspace. It would be a better peoples perceptions of the of light received by the eyes. as it estimates the amount visual impact of lighting, (LiDOs) procedure, the Lighting Design Objectives A suitable design method, of the lighting to specify the objectives exists. It requires the practitioner can be determined and done, the ambient illuminance installation. Once this is objectives to be met by direct flux selected, enabling target surfaces to receive This can cover situations nt illuminance ratio values. illuminance adjusting the target/ambie tasks occur and the ambient difficult visually where ranging from to achieve envisaged visual distributions of emphasis is insufficient, to creating a uniform illuminance is very flexible. It even allows effects. The LiDOs procedure plane if that is the objective. across a horizontal working It will never happen unless all those involved lift up their eyes from the horizontal working plane for Barings, Hoare Leas lighting scheme move away from London, exemplifies the uplighting the horizontal plane, using as well as and perimeter cove lighting, bright, layered downlighting to create a volume (architect: TP Bennett) How to get there rs, regulators, professional of designers, manufacture are: We will need the support the questions to be addressed bodies and architects. Among be changed? How will lighting practice energy consumption? Will the change increase with the current practice? of ambient lighting compared What are the costs s for the lighting industry? What are the opportunitie more and lighting designers working Will it lead to architects closely together? the LiDOs procedure? be rewritten to support Can design software standards take? What form should lighting LiDOs procedure? be incorporated into the How can daylighting shift can occur: before the desired paradigm lighting and Several activities are needed metrics for quantifying ambient is essential. 1 Research to identify suitable metrics for inclusion in standards appropriate levels of these in a better human response ambient lighting results that establish to 2 Research after prolonged exposure. practice, on first sight and to an interior than current meter. illuminance ambient and robust 3 Development of a reliable of implementing an financial and energy costs any attempts 4 Research to estimate the including relative to current practice, ambient lighting approach with light. to influence human health be turned upside down g of lighting efficiency may 5 The present understandin . and needs further investigation from standards to be required if the movement likely is phase transitional 6A plane to ones based on on a horizontal working based on task illuminance standard would have succeed. A transitional lighting ambient illuminance is to and uniformity) and on current practice (illuminance application tables based This would allow lighting MICI, TAIR, and so on). for ambient lighting (MRSE, for a given project. approach they thought best whichever use to practitioners should prepare by as those revising EN 12464-1, Lighting regulators, such as soon as possible. approach lighting the ambient providing information on eyes from the horizontal to occur we must lift our For a shift to ambient lighting by ambient lighting. CJ opportunities for presented working plane and see the is professor emeritus at Technological University Dublin; of LR&T and KEVIN KELLY FCIBSE FSLLis a lighting consultant; DR PETER BOYCE FSLL is editor UCL KIT CUTTLE FCIBSE FSLL of the Lit Environment at PETER RAYNHAM is professor www.cibsejournal.com urnal.com 38 December 2020 www.cibsejo December 2020 39 Heatherwick Studio, Maggies, Leeds Left: The manifesto is published in the December edition of the Journal Barrie Wilde, retired lighting consultant, teacher, and former Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) president: Having retired recently, after 60 years as a lighting designer, these claims do not register with my own experience, or with that of the profession. Quite the reverse. The considerable number of highly successful, independent lighting-design consultancies including specialist lighting units in building services, design and architectural practices already operate an enlightened design ethos of ambient, task, display. Of course, there are still lighting designs based on spraying a horizontal surface with an abundance of luminous flux, but surely this is a case for education, not a wholesale change in the metrics? The SLL presidents address of 2005, by lighting academic and researcher Geoff Cook, was titled Mind the gap, and addressed the widening gap between research and design. This manifesto perhaps indicates that there is still a disconnect between the two and, if a paradigm shift is really necessary, it should be to close this gap, not to produce yet another set of metrics. 36 March 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE March 21 pp36-38 Lighting manifesto response.indd 36 19/02/2021 15:20