Unter Berücksichtigung der Europanorm DIN EN 12464

Fördergemeinschaft Gutes Licht

Good Lighting for Officesand Office Buildings 4

Free Download at

www.all-about-lig

ht.org

Contents

Office work 2 / 3

Office space 4 / 5

Office lighting / types of lighting and lighting concepts 6 / 7

Cellular offices 8 / 9

Group offices 10 / 11

Combi offices 12 / 13

Open plan offices 14 / 15

Prestige offices 16 / 17

CAD offices 18 / 19

Conference rooms / training rooms /

video-conference rooms 20 / 21

Offices open to the public 22 / 23

Reception rooms and areas 24 / 25

Cafeterias / staff restaurants / rest rooms /

communication zones 26 / 27

Outdoor areas / façades 28 / 29

Lighting technology 30 – 35

Minimum lighting requirements 36 / 37

Lamps 38 / 39

Luminaires 40 – 43

Lighting management 44 – 46

Literature, standards and LiTG publications 47

Acknowledgements for photographs / Order forms 47

Imprint 48

Information from Fördergemeinschaft Gutes Licht 49

G o o d L i g h t i n g

Vision is the most important of all the five senses – and the one werely on most heavily at work. So correct workplace lighting is amatter of particular importance. As numerous scientific studies

have shown, close links exist between the quality of lighting on theone hand and productivity, motivation and well-being on the other. In the modern working world, however, we need more than just theright amount of light for workplace tasks. We need a succession of

stimulating and relaxing situations throughout the day.So creating different lighting scenes in rooms with different func-tions (workrooms, meeting rooms, recreation/regeneration zones)

helps boost motivation and promote a sense of well-being.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Dieter LorenzGiessen-Friedberg University of Applied Sciences

f o r O f f i c e s a n d O f f i c e B u i l d i n g s

2

Office work

tion centres, places for em-ployees to meet and ex-change information. Key fa-cilities here are conferencezones, conference rooms andcafeterias – places whereteams can come together forformal or informal meetings.

The “office building” systemas a whole has thus clearlybecome more complex. Whatis more, employers increas-ingly insist on company build-ings being designed to makea cohesive visual statementin tune with the organisation’scorporate design. From fa-çade to reception area, cellu-lar office to combi office, ex-ecutive office to office areasopen to the public, every ele-ment needs to suit the com-pany’s style.

The architect thus becomesan all-rounder, designingcolour schemes and furnish-ings, lighting and air-condi-tioning as elements of an in-tegrated system. The primarygearing of that system, how-ever, is dictated by the needto ensure efficient organisa-tion of labour. Above all, em-ployees need a motivating,performance-enhancing at-mosphere, which is nowwidely known to be promotedby an agreeable working en-vironment. In short, the chal-lenge lies in creating an am-bience for work which is bothfunctional and agreeable.

A major role here is playedby correct lighting. This formsan important part of the officebuilding system as a wholebecause it paves the way forgood visual performance andcomfort at work and signifi-cantly affects the way we re-spond to the architecture ofthe building and the designof the interiors.

How will office design and office workplaces change in thenext five years?

German executives’ answers to this question were as follows:

71,9%: Offices will be more variable.

66,1%: Office space will be more intensively used.

56,9%: Offices will be modifiable.

50,7%: Rooms and workplaces will underline the value of personnel.

45,6%: There will be totally new types/forms of office.

9,8%: Not much will change.

Source: Deutsches Büromöbelforum, Düsseldorf, 2001; target group survey by BBE-Unternehmensberatung GmbH, Cologne

How do you see office design and office work in five years’ time?

German executives’ answers to this question were as follows:

71,8%: The office will remain the principal location for work.

60,5%: Changes as a result of communication technologies.

44,3%: Seamless transition between home and office, work and private life.

9,8%: Not much will change.

Source: Deutsches Büromöbelforum, Düsseldorf, 2001; target group survey by BBE-Unternehmensberatung GmbH, Cologne

How will the pattern of demand for (special) office spacechange in the future?

GIM poll results:

Today In future Change

Open plan office 6,6% 5,1% – 1,5%

Group office 12,7% 11,7% – 1,0%

Cellular office 80,7% 37,6% – 43,1%

Combi office 26,4% 43,1% +16,7%

Flexspace office 11,2% 40,6% +29,4%

Source: GIM Grundwert Immobilien Management GmbH, Dresdner Bank Immobiliengruppe,1999

N othing in the workingworld has undergonesuch a radical trans-

formation in recent years asoffice work. With rapid ad-vances in information andcommunication technologies,corporate structures in a stateof flux and totally new formsof work emerging, today’sworld of work is a world ofcomputers and networks,workflow and data exchange.Office work has become in-formation and communica-tion work.

But changes in the way wework also impact on otherareas of our private andworking lives. The knowledgesociety of the 21st Centuryneeds different offices, differ-ently designed buildings, evendifferent urban design. Theindustrial kind of office work,where people streamed totheir cellular offices in themorning and streamed backto their homes outside thetown or city centre in theevening, is being replaced bynew, flexible, personalisedworking arrangements.

The traditional form of officework, where each employeeperforms one operation at hisor her desk, has been super-seded in many modern com-panies and organisations bymore efficient forms of worksuch as project-orientedteamwork. Here, specialisedteamworkers meet at variouslocations in various constel-lations for limited sessionsof cooperation. Their officeequipment consists of mo-bile phone, laptop computerand PDA (Personal Digital As-sistant) and they decide forthemselves where, when andwith whom they work.

Flexible working times andflexible work locations, non-territorial offices and mobileworkstations present new ar-chitectural requirements forthe places where we work.Individual work is done athome in a home office or atcustomers' premises, in com-bi offices or in a recreationzone. Company buildings arethus becoming communica-

3

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

In modern forms of office,rigid room and workplacestructures are being super-seded by flexible and re-quirement-oriented conceptsof use. In many cases, a kindof nomadic culture prevails,with employees able to useany workplace. This calls fornew room architecture andmore flexible furnishings:freely rearrangeable roomstructures, individually ad-justable desks and officechairs, and variable lightingsystems.

On the following pages, welook at modified types of of-fice which meet these re-quirements. The new lightingconcepts and lighting solu-tions crafted for them – aswell as their realisation in linewith the new European stan-dard DIN EN 12464 and EDIN 5035-7 – are the focus ofthis publication. A matrix onthe pages devoted to the in-dividual types of office showsthe kind of lighting recom-mended for the different ap-plications.

One modern innovationshowing how the workingworld has changed and howmany different forms officesand office work can take isthe call centre.

The need for efficient salessupport and qualified cus-tomer service worldwidemake call centres an indis-pensable facility for manycompanies today.

The activities performed in acall centre are defined by newinformation and communica-tion technologies: the prima-ry tools are computer net-works, databases and head-set telephones.

1

2 4

3

15 STG 17/2915 STG 17/29

Ficus BenjaminiFicus Benjamini

4

2

This office buildingfloor plan shows theprincipal types ofoffice and room, theirsalient features andthe main accesszones within thebuilding.

4

4 OPEN PLAN OFFICES

• room area 400 to 1200 m2

• room depth approx. 20 to 30 m • room width approx. 20 to 40 m• 25 to over 100 employees per room• storey height approx. 3.8 to 4.5 m• non-corridor systems for workplace

access• power/data cabling via access floor

or underfloor duct systems, some-times suspended ceilings

• fully air-conditioned • permanent artificial lighting in inner

zones

1 CELLULAR OFFICES

• room area 10 to 50 m2

• room depth 4 to 5.5 m (single ordouble depth arrangement in build-ings 12 to 14 m deep)

• room width approx. 2.5 to 4.5 m(1 to 2-person room)

• 1 to 6 employees per room• storey height up to 4 m• access to offices via corridor• power/data cabling via window

ducts, cavity floor or underfloor ductsystems

• window-ventilated rooms, poss.partially air-conditioned (generallycooled)

• daylight-illuminated workplaces withoccasional artificial lighting

Office space

J ust as the way wework has been trans-formed, so too has the

design of the rooms in whichwe work become more com-plex and diverse. The activi-ties performed in offices todayrange from graphic designwork on a VDU to multimediapresentations for colleaguesand clients.

Regardless of the way officesare used, they can be dividedinto four basic types: the cel-lular office, the group office,the combi office and the openplan office. The most impor-tant form of office at presentis the traditional cellular of-fice. According to a studyconducted by the DresdnerBank Property Group (seepage 2, table 3), 80.7% of alloffices conform to this type.In the years ahead, howev-er, we will see a dramatic de-cline in its significance. Newflexible forms of office, suchas the combi office or theflexspace (flexibly adaptable)office will be the norm in theworking world of the future.

Production processes andbuilding design, work hierar-chies and room layouts, re-sponsibilities and types ofroom – in the future, virtuallyno aspect of office work orits architecture will remain asit is today. Even the role oflighting will be reviewed. Inthe past, the primary purposeof office windows was to ad-mit natural light and provide avisual link with the outsideworld; artificial lighting gen-erally consisted of fixed lumi-naires arranged in line withthe axes of the building. Thisarrangement then determinedthe positioning of workplacesin the room – and a centrallight switch permitted achoice between light anddarkness.

In recent years, the design ofall lighting components hasbecome much more sophis-ticated. Regulating the day-light that enters a room – e.g.through the use of façade el-ements or window blinds –makes for better air condi-tioning, reduces artificial light-

ing costs, promotes a greatersense of well-being and thusheightens the motivation andoperational efficiency of per-sonnel.

Artificial lighting is seen as anarchitectural element. Lampsand luminaires are smallerand more efficient, they blenddiscreetly with the architec-ture or they strengthen itsstatement through their owndesign. Today, a variety oftypes of lighting are availableto cater for every office ac-tivity and room situation. Forexample: direct/indirect lumi-naires with variable intensitydistribution curves for agree-able ceiling illumination andglare-free workplace lighting,or flexible combinations ofstandard and desktop lumi-naires which move withdesks.

Lighting control is a core ele-ment of any building man-agement system. Central andlocal regulation of communi-cations, air-conditioning, day-light control and artificial light-ing systems makes buildingmanagement more efficientand boosts productivity. Mod-ern lighting control systemsare designed for daylight-de-pendent and presence-de-pendent regulation, permitnumerous lighting scenes andoffer a high degree of opera-tor convenience.

To ensure the right standardof lighting for a specific roomuse, the right balance needsto be struck between visualperformance, visual comfortand visual ambience. Theemphasis may need to be on• visual performance, which isprimarily defined by lightinglevel and glare limitation,• visual comfort, which de-pends mainly on colour ren-dering and harmoniousbrightness distribution,• visual ambience, which isessentially influenced by lightcolour, direction of light andmodelling.

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

87

7

6

5

3

1

5

8 OFFICES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• room area 100 to 800 m 2

• room depth 10 to 20 m • room width 10 to 40 m• 6 to 40 employees per room• storey height 3.5 to 4.5 m• non-corridor systems for workplace

access

7 CONFERENCE/TRAININGROOMS

• room area 50 to 400 m 2

• room depth 5 to 15 m • room width 8 to 20 m• storey height 2.5 to 4.5 m• power/data cabling via cavity floor or

underfloor duct systems • partially air-conditioned, poss. fully

air-conditioned• daylight-illuminated workplaces

with occasional artificial lighting andsupplementary lighting for multi-media presentations

6 CAD OFFICES

• room area 80 to 500 m2

• room depth 8 to 20 m • room width 10 to 25 m• 6 to 30 employees per room• storey height 3.5 to 4.5 m• non-corridor access to workplaces • power/data cabling via cavity floor or

underfloor duct systems • partially air-conditioned, from 15 m

room depth fully air-conditioned• permanent artificial lighting with

occasional reduced daylight

5 PRESTIGE OFFICES

• room area 25 to 100 m2

• room depth 5 to 10 m • room width 5 to 10 m • 1 employee per room• storey height 2.5 to 4 m

access via corridor or anteroom• power/data cabling via cavity floor,

underfloor duct systems and/orwindow duct

• window-ventilated rooms, poss.partially air-conditioned

• daylight-illuminated workplaceswith occasional artificial lighting andadditional accent lighting

3 COMBI OFFICES

• room area 9 to 12 m2

• room depth approx. 4 to 5 m perroom (with building depths 15 to17 m2)

• room width approx. 2.3 to 3 m forstandard workroom

• 1 to 2 employees per room• storey height approx. 3.0 to 4.0 m• offices accessed via communal

zones • power/data cabling via window

ducts, cavity floor or underfloor ductsystems

• window-ventilated rooms, poss.partially air-conditioned (generallycooled)

• daylight-illuminated workplaces withoccasional artificial lighting

• workrooms arranged around aninternal communal area

2 GROUP OFFICES

• room area 100 to 300 m2

• room depth up to 18 m (up to 15 mwhere window-ventilated)

• room width approx. 12 to 24 m• 8 to 25 employees per room• storey height approx. 3.7 to 4.0 m• power/data cabling via cavity floor or

underfloor duct systems• partial air-conditioning, ventilation,

daylight-illuminated workplaces andoccasional artificial lighting in innerzones

6

B1Direct lighting(ceiling luminaires)

Task lighting with special optical control (pendant luminaires)

B3

Office lighting

Types of lighting and lighting concepts

L ighting illuminatesrooms and sets thescene for room use;

the different types of lightingavailable provide the tools fordoing this. Aside from meet-ing the requirements of tech-nical and functional regula-tions, standards and guide-lines, good lighting also cre-ates an aesthetically pleasingenvironment, generates pos-itive moods and promotes asense of well-being.

The modern working worldwith its mobile teamwork,recreation zones and flat-screen monitors permits andrequires new lighting solu-tions. Designing a lightingsystem for optimum func-tionality and aesthetic appealcalls for a knowledge of thedifferent types of modernlighting available and the kindof impact they have.

Today, numerous luminairesystems with different light-ing characteristics are avail-able for providing good light-ing in office and administrativebuildings: from the traditionalrecessed luminaire for directlighting through direct/indirectsurface-mounted, pendant orstandard luminaires for vari-able light distribution to com-puterised lighting systems.

Major advances in compo-nent design have broughtabout considerable improve-ments in all luminaire systemsin recent years. New elec-tronic ballasts and controlsystems, reflector materialsand lamps make for higherluminous efficacy, precise op-tical control, better glare sup-pression and lower internalpower losses. Greater cost-efficiency is achieved due tothe higher light output ratiosof modern types of lightingand marked improvementshave been made in conve-nience and safety.

Selecting the right type oflighting entails striking theright balance between visualperformance, visual comfortand visual ambience. It alsomeans meeting the require-ments of the technical andstatutory regulations govern-ing the lighting levels, harmo-nious brightness distribution,

direct and reflected glare lim-itation, direction of light, mod-elling, light colour and colourrendering required for the rel-evant office activity.

For office lighting applications,there are three lighting con-cepts. These concepts canbe realised by lighting typesB1, B2, B3, B4, Z1, Z2, Z3and Z4. The table on page 7shows the types of lightingrecommended – B1 to B4 –for each lighting concept. Additional recommendationsfor lighting types Z1 to Z4 areshown in a matrix on thepages devoted to the individ-ual types of office.

Designing a lighting systemcalls for detailed specialistknowledge. The expertiseand experience of lighting de-signers and lighting engineersare essential for good results.

More information about thecomponents of the differenttypes of lighting is providedon pages 38 to 46 of thisbooklet.

B1, B2, B3 and B4

4 types of lighting for office space and office

workplaces

Z1, Z2, Z3 and Z4

4 types of lighting for illuminating vertical

surfaces – especiallythose of cabinets and

shelving systems –and communication

zones.

3 lighting concepts

for offices: room-related ■

task area ■work surface ■

lighting

5

7

B1 B2 B3 B4

Room-related lightingUniform lighting throughout the room creating roughly the same visual conditionsat all points. This is recommended where the arrangement of task areas is unknownduring the planning phase or where the arrangement of task areas needs to beflexible.

Task area lightingDifferent lighting for task areas and the space around them. This is recommendedwhere a room contains several task areas which are used to address different visualtasks and thus have different lighting requirements. It is also an option where visualdivisions are needed to identify different workplace clusters.

Work surface lightingWorkplace luminaires can be used to supplement “basic lighting” – which can beeither room-related or task area lighting – to achieve a level of lighting finely tunedto the requirements of the visual task or to personal needs. DIN 5035-8 sets outrequirements/recommendations for workplace luminaires.

Lighting concepts Types of lighting

Direct/indirect lighting(pendant luminaires)

Spot for illuminating verticalsurfaces

Wallwasher for illuminatingvertical surfaces

Indirect lighting with direct workplace lighting (standard and desktop luminaires)

Wall luminaires for illuminating walls

Downlights for illuminatingcommunication zones

B2

B4

Z1 Z2

Z3 Z4

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

7

6

8

Cellular offices

T he cellular office is thetype of office tradition-ally used to accom-

modate a maximum of six of-fice workers – and it is stillthe best solution for person-nel who predominantly per-form tasks which require con-centration, a personal archiveof files and books or theprivacy needed for confiden-tial conversations with clientsor staff. It is also ideal forsmall groups of two to threepeople who work together asa team and constantly needto exchange informationabout their work.

Despite its structural limita-tions, the cellular office is verypopular with most officeworkers. For many, the highdegree of privacy, the prox-imity of windows and thepossibility of tailoring theroom, its climate and its light-ing to personal tastes out-weigh the disadvantages.The lack of interaction with alarger group needs to bemade up in other ways here,e.g. in meetings.

Cellular offices are put tomany different uses. Theyaccommodate scientists andsection leaders, secretariesand designers; they are usedfor VDU work and teammeetings, concentrated studyand appointments withclients. The diversity of roomuse is reflected accordinglyin a wide range of roomshapes, furnishings, colourschemes, etc.

The type of lighting requireddepends on the structure ofthe room, the use or uses towhich it is put and the at-mosphere that needs to becreated. In most cellular of-fices, louvered recessed lu-minaires are the option mostwidely preferred. Louveredluminaires suitably glare-suppressed for direct lightingare an economical solutionfor many applications, alsoproviding good conditions forVDU work.

A more agreeable and moremotivating impression ismade by a room where pen-dant luminaires for direct/in-

direct lighting are used. Byilluminating the ceiling, theseavoid a “cave effect” even insmall offices, achieve a morenatural distribution of bright-ness and give the room amore homely appearance.For meetings especially, di-rect/indirect lighting systemsgenerate a better visual am-bience because light andshade are more balancedand faces look more natural.

Standard luminaires add aprestigious note to cellular of-fices. As direct/indirect lightingsystems, they offer all the ad-vantages mentioned abovebut can additionally enhancethe room architecture throughtheir design. In conjunctionwith desktop luminaires, theroom and the work surfaceon the desk are equally wellilluminated. Another impor-tant advantage is flexibility,because even today one infour company employeeschanges offices at least oncea year. A lighting system con-sisting of standard and desk-top luminaires can move witha relocating employee with-out ceiling and electrical in-stallations having to betouched.

For vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed,e.g. at cabinets, shelving sys-tems, wall charts, maps, sup-plementary lighting is need-ed.

Even though light switchesare normally within easy reachin cellular offices, lighting con-trol systems have distinct ad-vantages. Conferences andgroup communication oftentake place outside the cellularoffice, which then standsempty, so presence-depen-dent control is a practical andconvenient addition to thelighting system. Other eco-nomic and logistical advan-tages are provided by cen-tral control systems whichcheck if office lights havebeen switched off in theevening and whether lampsneed to be replaced.

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

9

Features

• Standard cellular office (fixed room structures) and superior cellularoffice (flexible repositionable walls, higher costs for requisite flexibilityof façade, interior work and building systems)

• 1-person room for work requiring intense concentration behind aclosed door

• 2 to 3-person room for intensive cooperation and communicationwithin a very small unit

• Multi-person room for intensive cooperation and communication in ateam or small unit

• Prestige 1-person office with interview facilities for corporate executive

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

8

9

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Group offices

T he group officeemerged as an initialresponse to the new

forms of work that heraldedthe age of communication. Itmade its appearance in thelate 1970s and early 1980swhen offices started to be-come computerised and of-fice work was transformed asa result. The rigid depart-mental groupings of the openplan office were replaced bysmaller units which couldwork more closely and effec-tively as teams.

In the 1990s, architectslooked at the down-scaledopen plan offices again anddeveloped new ideas forgroup or team offices. Mo-notonous arrangements ofdesks designed solely tomake efficient use of spacewere superseded by zonalconcepts.

Owing to its comfortable size,flexible design and effectivecommunication structure, thegroup office is still a popularoffice and work concept eventoday. It avoids the anony-mity of the open plan officeand provides good conditionsfor direct personal teamworkin established groups of 8 to25 employees.

One central issue in the con-text of group office lighting isdaylight control. Where roomsare seven to eight metresdeep, special light-reflectingwindow blinds can usefullydirect available daylight tothe parts of the room farthestfrom windows.

But adequate daylight is notalways available, so work-places located deep in theroom still need to be illu-minated by artificial lightsources. In the classic set-up, desks are positioned onebehind the other at right an-gles to the window wall. Day-light then falls on desktopsand workstations from theside, with window glare elim-inated by blinds. The artificiallighting units – e.g. louveredluminaires for direct lighting– are mounted parallel to the

window wall to provide effec-tive task area illumination.

Other lighting concepts per-mit a free and flexiblearrangement of workplaces.For workplace clusters – i.e.relatively small groups ofdesks – pendant luminairesfor direct/indirect lighting gen-erally yield better results. Ow-ing to the brightness of theceiling, the lighting looks morenatural, dazzling reflectionson work materials and screenare reduced, and the bettermodelling makes faces andobjects look more appealing.For a more flexible workplacearrangement, direct/indirectstandard luminaires can beused in combination withdesktop luminaires. Verticalsurfaces where reading tasksare performed – at cabinets,shelving systems, wall charts,maps, etc. – call for adequatesupplementary lighting.

To give a group office an en-ergising, motivating atmos-phere without compromisingon clarity of structure, thelighting should emphasisethe zonal layout of the room.Downlights, for example, canbe used to provide agreeable,non-directional lighting forservice centres, where docu-ments are faxed or copied.Where these facilities are lo-cated at the perimeter of theroom, indirect wall luminairesare another option. In con-ference zones, direct/indirectluminaires should be usedwherever possible to ensurenatural modelling for facesand work materials. In regen-eration zones, light coloursshould be warm, e.g. provid-ed by luminaires in an indi-rect trunking system supple-mented by table luminairesfor reading tasks.

10

10

11

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

Features

• Enclosed open-plan group rooms with few room-dividing elements(screen or cabinet partitions) or rooms with a combination of open andclosed structures defined by room-dividing systems (room-in-roomsystems) or elements.

• Open office space with open group zones which can be separatedfrom one another – e.g. by assignment to different levels – yet whichstill permit inter-zonal visual communication and generate a sense ofsecurity through their architecture and workplace clusters.

11

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

12

13

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

14

15 16

Combi offices

I n the office buildings ofthe information society,the efficiency and success

of employees depends to alarge extent on communica-tion. In many cases, employ-ees work on successive pro-jects in a team, with eachteam member addressing aspecial assignment relatingto the project. The concen-trated work of the individual isthus performed in constantconsultation with the team.

The combi office is an archi-tectural response to this wayof working. It permits a con-nection between the opencommunication of the teamand the individual work of theteam members. The combioffice thus combines teamspirit and communication,transparency and flexibility.

Structurally, a combi office islike a marketplace: a com-munal space surrounded byindividual “houses”. A mar-ketplace provides a platformfor the public exchange ofinformation and trade ingoods. The houses around itare where the information isprocessed and the productsmanufactured.

In the same way, the individ-ual workrooms of a combi of-fice can also be seen as pro-duction sites. They are whereparts of the project are craft-ed in concentrated individualwork. The fruit of that labouris taken to the adjacent com-munal zone, where the vari-ous parts of the project areput together by the team. Butthe communal zone performsother vital functions as well. Itis both a communication anda supply centre – accommo-dating not just the zones forteam meetings but also pho-tocopiers and fax machines,files, records and shared in-formation resources, such asperiodicals and referenceworks.

Lighting for a combi officeshould also be modelled onthe concept of the market-place and provide zonal light-ing wired for individual control.

In the workrooms in particular,it must be remembered that“production work” is very di-verse, ranging from readingproject papers to performinggraphic design work at aVDU, to holding small informalmeetings at the workplace.

A bright, agreeable atmos-phere is created by direct/indirect pendant luminairesor standard luminaires. Dim-mable luminaires, supple-mented by desktop lumi-naires at the workplace, per-mit individual lighting scenes.As most offices have relative-ly large windows, the use oflighting control systems per-mitting daylight-dependentregulation of the general light-ing is recommended.

For vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed –e.g. at cabinets, shelving sys-tems, wall charts and maps– adequate supplementarylighting is required.

In the communal room, thelighting should be designedto enhance spatial clarity bydifferentiating between zones.This helps identify the vari-ous function zones of the“marketplace” and enableslighting to be tailored to therelevant visual tasks.

Direct/indirect pendant lumi-naires over conference zonescreate an agreeable ambi-ence in which faces and workmaterials can be clearly iden-tified. For temporary work-places and reading areas inthe communal room, direct/indirect standard luminaires– possibly regulable models –are a flexible solution. For op-tical emphasis and differen-tiation of the individual zones,downlights are a suitablechoice. They also provide ef-fective guidance through theroom.

For the general lighting in thecommunal room, economicallouvered luminaires with goodglare suppression offer a highdegree of visual comfort.

12

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Features

• Standard workroom for one person, withglass wall to the central zone, partially glazedwalls to neighbouring offices (above 1.8 to2 m above floor level) and glass fin windowwall.

• Two-person workroom with block or wall-facing arrangement of workplaces createdby removal of a partition wall; features other-wise the same as those of the standardworkroom.

• Executive office: multi-axial room created byremoval of one or more partition walls.

18

17

13

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

14

Open plan offices

F or quite some time,open plan offices havebeen experiencing a re-

naissance. The functional andflexible structuring they permitmakes them an attractive op-tion for many company op-erations where efficient roomuse is a must. Their popular-ity has been boosted, in par-ticular, by the rapid spread ofcall centres. Nearly 200,000people in Germany work inthis sector alone.

Modern open plan offices arestill very much geared to VDUwork; most of the activitiesperformed in them consist ofcomputerised tasks requiringconcentration. Communica-tion in an open plan office ismostly telecommunication,i.e. telephone communicationwith customers or outfieldcolleagues.

In today's open plan offices,one finds many “clusters” ofworkplaces, where teamswork together. Workplacearrangements here can varyconsiderably, from strict geo-metrical patterns to circularoffice landscapes.

With computer workplaces,it is essential to ensure thatthe strain on the eyes fromswitching constantly backand forth between screen,work materials and sur-roundings is kept to a mini-mum and that the need forstrenuous accommodationand adaptation is avoided.So monitors and any papersthe operator needs to con-sult should be the same dis-tance from the eye, 40 to 80cm.

It is also important to avoiddirect and reflected glare. Di-rect glare occurs as a resultof excessively high luminancecontrast, e.g. where a VDUis positioned directly in frontof a window. Reflected glareresults from bright surfaces,such as windows or lumi-naires, being reflected onscreens.

Where these sources of dis-turbance are not adequatelylimited, fatigue, underperfor-mance and personnel healthproblems result. It is import-ant, therefore, that VDUsshould be arranged in rela-tion to windows or shieldedby curtains or blinds in such away that glare is avoided.Room-dividers or cabinet par-titions can help make glaresuppression measures moreeffective.

For the lighting designer, thismeans meeting a number ofspecific requirements. First,account needs to be takenof the insular character of theteam clusters. A variety ofmodern direct/indirect pen-dant luminaires specially de-veloped for VDU work areavailable for workgroup light-ing in open plan offices. Forvertical surfaces where read-ing tasks are performed, e.g.at cabinets, shelving systems,wall charts or maps, ade-quate supplementary lightingis required.

The challenge does not endwith work zone lighting, how-ever. Communication andperimeter zones also requireattention. Conference and re-ception zones lend structureto the room and call for variedlighting to emphasise theirspecial character and facili-tate orientation in the roomas a whole. Bright perimeterzones, e.g. walls illuminatedby wallwashers, make theroom look larger.

In open plan offices in par-ticular, user comfort can besignificantly enhanced bylighting control systems. Andas such offices frequentlyhave long rows of windows,considerable room depthsand various types of lighting,daylight-dependent regulationof window blinds and individ-ual room lighting elementsmay also be considered.

19

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Features

• Large office unit with mostlyopen workplace structure andfew subdividing partitions andcabinets. Pronounced hierarchi-cal layout: prestige offices nearwindows, preferably in cornersof the room (corner offices).

• Office landscape with variousteam zone clusters with variablearrangements of partitions. Moreprivate areas for managerialworkplaces. Integrated confer-ence, technical and regenerationzones.

• Room-in-room systems with thehigh degree of flexibility neededto cater to different organisation-al and staff requirements.

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

20

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

1521

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

16

Prestige offices

A s the name indicates,a prestige office un-derlines the stature of

the company and the individ-ual to whom it is assigned.Its interior design should re-flect the identity of the com-pany or the personality of theoccupant. This is where pres-tige offices get their atmos-phere, which can range fromcool and businesslike to lightand experimental, to uncom-promisingly sumptuous.

Most prestige offices consistof three zones, each with aclear purpose: first the work-place, where a variety oftasks are performed and VDUwork plays only a minor role;secondly a conference zone,designed to cater for smallgroup meetings; and thirdlya “presentation zone”, wherethe company presents its cor-porate culture and its work.

The three room zones share auniform atmosphere, althougheach zone has its own func-tion and mood. The atmos-phere needs to be appropri-ate for the statement whichthe room is supposed tomake; in most cases, acheerful homely atmosphereis required. In offices with arelatively dark colour schemeand lots of wood finishes, thisis best supported by soft in-direct lighting and warm lightcolours.

At the workplace, there isnormally no need for purelyfunctional lighting. On thecontrary, the lighting shouldbe part of the architectureand designed to cater for avariety of visual tasks. Stan-dard and desktop luminairesor pendant luminaires of dec-orative, futuristic or purist de-sign are suitable options.What is important is that thelighting is bright enough forall visual tasks, glare due towindows and luminaires isavoided and the distributionof light at the workplace andthroughout the room is har-monious. Marked differencesin brightness along differentlines of sight make it harderfor the eye to adapt and giverise to fatigue.

For vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed– e.g. at cabinets, shelvingsystems, wall charts or maps– adequate supplementarylighting is required.

In the conference zone, light-ing should be low-key to per-mit full concentration on thepersons present. Balancedmodelling and warm lightcolours help give faces amore natural and agreeableappearance. Direct/indirectluminaires fitted with warm-tone lamps provide the highvertical illuminance requiredand cast a soft, pleasant light.Glare due to direct lighting orreflections needs to be avoid-ed, as does a marked con-trast in brightness with thesurroundings. Both are dis-tracting and cause visual fa-tigue; concentration and mo-tivation suffer.

In the third room zone, thepresentation zone, attentionneeds to be directed to ob-jects or images. At the sametime, the presentation zonemust be neither too bright nortoo dark in relation to the restof the room; direction of lightand modelling must be de-signed to ensure that three-dimensional objects are iden-tifiable as such. Downlights,wallwashers and a variety ofspots can be an effective ac-centuating lighting solutionhere.

In view of the many differenttypes of lighting used in mostprestige offices, a program-mable lighting control systemmakes good sense. Pre-de-fined lighting scenes for con-centrated work at the desk,meetings with colleagues orthe reception of guests helpensure balanced lighting inthe room and permit a com-fortable lighting atmospherefor the situation required.

23

22

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

Features

• Multi-axial room with very open room structure, little or no subdivisionby room partitioning systems

• Open conference zone distinguished from the workplace by its interiorand lighting design

• Direct connection to adjoining conference rooms or secretarial offices

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

1725

24

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

18

CAD offices

F rom a lighting view-point, computer-aideddesign is one of the

most demanding office activ-ities of all. Characters andsymbols, super-fine lines andpatches of varying contrastand colour call for intenseconcentration and perfectvisual clarity of screen dis-plays, work materials andother objects. So special at-tention needs to be paid inCAD offices to ergonomicworkplace design.

Room and workplace light-ing plays an important role inergonomic design. Lightinglevels need to be chosen toensure a balance betweenthe brightness of VDU screen,task area and surroundings.Changing visual tasks – i.e.working on screen, execut-ing sketches on light-colouredpaper and making visual con-tact with colleagues in theroom – call for harmoniousluminance distribution.

Direct and reflected glareneeds to be limited. Directglare is caused by bright sur-faces, such as windows, orunshielded lamps; reflectedglare is caused by light re-flections on glossy paper orscreens. Direct and reflectedglare cause extreme differ-ences in luminance and im-pair visual conditions, thusundermining office workers’sense of well-being and abil-ity to concentrate on the taskin hand.

To ensure good visual perfor-mance, a classic arrange-ment of workplaces at rightangles to the window wall isrecommended, with desks forancillary design operationspositioned near the windowand CAD workstations locat-ed nearer the middle of theroom. Daylight then falls ondesks from the side and glareis largely eliminated. Lumi-naires should be installed par-allel to the window wall. High-grade specular louver lumi-naires with specially designedlouvers ensure glare-free light-ing at the workplace.

Adequate daylight is not al-ways available, so luminairesshould be positioned to theleft and right of the desks.The direction of light andmodelling thus achieved per-mits paperwork and objectsto be viewed without unduerisk of fatigue.

As for types of lighting, di-rect/indirect luminaires offerthe highest degree of com-fort. A bright ceiling makesfor balanced luminance dis-tribution, giving the roomlighting a more natural andmore motivating impact. Sup-plementary desktop lumi-naires enable the lighting tobe tailored to individual worksituations. In aisles, louveredluminaires, downlights or di-rect/indirect wall luminairesare a suitable option.

What is particularly importantin CAD offices is modernlighting control. For one thing,the lighting level at each indi-vidual workplace needs to beadjustable for different tasksbecause while a great dealof light is needed for studyingtechnical drawings on paper,VDU work often calls for dim-ming. Secondly, uniformity oflighting needs to be right at alltimes of day. Where incidentdaylight at desks is intense,both the German national or-dinance protecting employ-ees working at VDUs and EUDirective 90/270 stipulate thatwindow-blinds must be pro-vided for screening and sup-plemented, if necessary, byartificial lighting.

For vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed– e.g. at cabinets, shelvingsystems, wall charts or maps– adequate supplementarylighting is required.

28

26

27

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

Features

• Large office unit with mostly open workplace structure and fewsubdividing partitions and cabinets.

• Screened areas for integrated conference and technical zones

19

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

29

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

20

Conference rooms / training rooms / video-conference rooms

M ultifunctional pre-sentation roomsplay a central role in

many companies. They areused to receive visitors, ad-dress clients and staff andprovide a place where col-leagues can confer amongstthemselves. They need to re-flect the company’s imageand corporate culture, pro-mote lively discussion and in-depth consultation and pro-vide access to multimediafacilities.

So these rooms need to per-form a wide variety of func-tions and create a wide vari-ety of moods. Receptions forclients, for example, call foran air of openness, whereasintensive consultation requiresa more secluded atmos-phere. So the prime require-ment that conference andtraining rooms need to meetis flexibility of room use –something which is achievedby a variable room layout cre-ated by movable partitionsand versatile furniture. Thisvariability needs to be reflect-ed by the lighting, which mustalso be able to cater for dif-ferent functions and createdifferent moods.

Attaining this goal calls for adifferentiated lighting designpermitting a variety of light-ing scenes. For the generallighting, two basic scenes areparticularly important: abright, illuminated ceiling cou-pled with harmonious bright-ness distribution for convey-ing an impression of open-ness in the room, and highlyaccentuating lighting in cer-tain zones for conveying animpression of seclusion.

For the first lighting scene,direct/indirect pendant lumi-naires can make for balancedroom lighting with an agree-able basic brightness. For thesecond, the “private” lightingatmosphere required can beprovided by downlights or byspots mounted on powertrack. Vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed –at cabinets, shelving systems,wall charts, maps, etc. – callfor adequate supplementarylighting.

Many mood variants can beachieved for multifunctionalrooms by combining differentlighting systems, e.g. pen-dant luminaires with down-lights or recessed or surface-mounted ceiling luminaireswith power track and spots.

General lighting must alwaysbe supplemented by accentlighting because certain roomzones require different illumi-nation, depending on the useto which they are put. Forpresentations, accent light-ing provides the vertical illu-mination needed at rostrumor stage to cast speakers inthe right light; for video-con-ferences or beamer presen-tations, it ensures basic light-ing for safety in the room andsmoothes out extreme differ-ences in luminance. For theaudience, safe glare-free ori-entation in the room must beguaranteed at all times.

The bandwidth of options foraccentuating lighting is ex-tremely wide: it ranges fromdownlight wallwashers andpower track spots for illumi-nating rostrums and walls todecorative recessed wall lu-minaires and recessed floorluminaires. What is very im-portant for accent lighting is abalance between functionali-ty and creativity. The charac-ter of the room should be un-derlined and the architectureor selected room zones em-phasised. Variations in the lu-minaires used, different lightcolours and switches fromwide to narrow-beam lumi-naires offer many opportuni-ties to inject life into the roomthrough lighting.

Using differentiated lightinglike this in practice calls formodern lighting control.Where several lighting sys-tems are present and multipleroom users involved, the light-ing needs to be programma-ble, enabling a predefinedlighting scene to be activatedwhen a particular lighting at-mosphere is required. This isthe only way the lighting de-signer can craft the right lightto make the right statementfor receptions and presenta-tions, training sessions andconferences.

30

31

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

FeaturesVideo-conference room

• Multi-axial room with very openroom structure, no subdivisionby room partitioning systems.

• Open hall, no subdivision orflexible subdivision by meansof partitions for room-in-roomsystems

• Variable arrangement ofindividual and team desks

21

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

32

33 34

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

22

Offices open to the public

D espite Internet and e-mail, personal contactis more important

than ever for many compa-nies and organisations today.Customers, clients and mem-bers of the public want per-sonalised advice and wish tomeet the people they dealwith face to face. In much ofthe private sector, an invita-tion to visit the company inperson is an important partof customer bonding and agood opportunity to promoteimage and product range.

Classic service halls, with theircold stone floors and highceilings, are being relegat-ed to the past. The prefer-ence today is for a morehomely atmosphere, withwarm colours, small roomunits and a consulting zonethat has shifted from thecounter to niches or desks.

As in all relatively large interi-ors, the lighting concept hereneeds to reflect the structureof the room, with its variouszones for different tasks. Vis-itors entering the room wantto be able to identify clearlywhere they need to go. Brightreception areas and illumi-nated information panels fa-cilitate initial orientation anddirect visitors’ attention.

To avoid cave effects in anentrance area, room lightingand ceiling illumination needto be adequately bright. Aninteresting effect is achievedwith louvered luminaires ordownlights in the ceiling andindirect ceiling floodlightsmounted on walls or pillars.Large luminous ceilings or di-rect/indirect pendant lumi-naires also create an agree-able and natural atmosphere.

In interview niches and atconsultants’ desks, the light-ing needs to be suitable forboth communication situa-tions and VDU work. Whereroom layouts frequentlychange, the lighting needs tobe equally flexible. Desktopluminaires and standard lu-minaires for direct/indirectlighting can be repositionedat any time and, where ceil-ings are bright and a normalheight, create lighting con-ditions which permit high vi-sual comfort for interviewsand good visual performancefor VDU work.

For vertical surfaces wherereading tasks are performed –at cabinets, shelving systems,wall charts, maps, etc. – ad-equate supplementary lightingis required.

Offices which are open to thepublic also perform a repre-sentative function, so atten-tion needs to be paid not on-ly to the functional design ofthe lighting but also to itsvisual appeal and aestheticimpact. Even with the mostimpressive architecture, how-ever, that impact can only beachieved if the right light isprovided at the right place.Recessed floor luminaires anddownlights vividly emphasisepillars; spots cast selectedzones in a dramatic light orimbue presentation areas forimages and artworks with vi-sual tension. For the public,good and exciting lighting de-sign brings a room and its ar-chitecture to life.

35

36

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

Features

• Multi-axial room with open room structure, little subdivision by roompartitioning systems

• Large open room subdivided by partitions or cabinet systems intoconsulting, technical and workplace zones.

23

FG

L-

3D

-V

ISU

AL

ISA

TIO

N©

37/38

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

24

Reception rooms /reception areas

E ntrance areas make afirst and crucial im-pression on visitors.

Architecture and dimensions,materials and furniture, light-ing and acoustics – they allcombine to form an “image”the moment the visitor entersthe room. For every visitor,the entrance area is the pointof initial contact, the begin-ning of all communicationwith their host.

Entrance areas generally con-sist of four zones: the actualentrance, the reception area,the lobby and the areas lead-ing into the building. So theprimary task for architect andlighting designer is to identifythese zones and provide clearaids to orientation for the vis-itor.

The entrance links the out-door areas with the interiorof the building. This is wherethe visitor steps out of thedaylight into the building. Asthe human eye takes time toadapt from the bright daylightoutdoors to the lower light-ing indoors, entrances needto be particularly bright.Adaptation is facilitated bylarge windows and glare-freelighting of high luminous in-tensity in this area. A day-light-dependent lighting con-trol system should adjust theartificial lighting in line withthe level of available daylight.Steps or stairs in this areaneed to be particularly wellidentified and illuminated.

Most visitors first make theirway to the reception desk,so this needs to be clearlyidentifiable as such. Supple-mentary lighting providedfor a reception area and anyvertical information panelsmakes these stand outagainst the surroundings andhelps visitors find their way. Acheerful, inviting atmosphereis generated by harmoniousbrightness distribution withanti-glare lighting for coun-ters and signs as well aswarm light colours.

The lobby area is a placefor communication, a placewhere visitors are greeted.The purpose of lighting hereis to create a visual ambiencewhere people – and espe-cially people’s faces – can beclearly recognised. Highly di-rectional lighting should beavoided because it casts un-favourable shadows. Direct/indirect lighting with warmlight colours ensures a bal-anced distribution of light andhelps create a positive at-mosphere for communication.

Corridors, staircases or liftsconnect the entrance areawith the interior of the build-ing. Here, too, lighting canfacilitate visitor orientation,e.g. in route guidance sys-tems incorporating colouredLED luminaires. A clear lightguidance system points visi-tors in the right direction andbright display panels or back-lit signs provide information.

Corridors and staircases canappear intimidating if they aremuch darker than the en-trance area. To avoid this tun-nel effect, care must be takento ensure uniform or gradual-ly decreasing brightness.

For staircases especially,glare-free lighting is essentialon the stairs. Safety can beheightened by modern LEDmodules integrated into thestairs or recessed wall lumi-naires illuminating the treads.

In entrance areas with largewindows, a daylight-depen-dent lighting control systemfor the artificial lighting is asound proposition, as are op-tical control blinds designedto direct daylight deep intothe room. Both systemsmake the lighting more at-tractive, heighten user com-fort and improve the econo-my of the entire system.

39

40

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

42

44

43

25

41

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

26

Cafeterias / staff restaurants /rest rooms / communication zones

A new office culture istransforming the tra-ditional structures of

our working world. Work to-day is seen as an efficientteam-oriented communica-tion and information process,which includes informal meet-ings over breakfast, teamtalks over lunch and occa-sional spells listening tosoothing music in a recreationzone. Work is part of life andlife’s experiences.

Cafeterias, staff restaurantsand rest zones play an im-portant role in modern com-panies. The works canteenfor blue-collar workers with aseparate section for man-agement has largely disap-peared. Today, comfortablecatering areas or bistro ta-bles are available for consul-tations between colleagues;armchairs with reading matterinvite staff to switch off andunwind.

The point of these “task ar-eas” is to give employees asense of well-being. Moderncompanies long ago realisedthat contented staff workmuch more efficiently and feelmore committed to the com-pany than employees whoare dissatisfied. The challengefor architect and lighting de-signer is to create the atmos-phere needed to attain thatgoal of “well-being”.

The architecture of moderncatering and regenerationzones has become more“homely”. Smaller roomsmake for more intimate sur-roundings, lots of wood andwarm colours create anagreeable atmosphere. Theinterior design is modelled onthat of fine restaurants andbistros.

For the lighting designer, thereis lots of scope for creativityhere. Various types of light-ing are available for craftingdecorative lighting systemsand lighting landscapes withatmosphere and emotionalappeal. Modern lamps suchas high-voltage tungsten-halogen lamps, low-voltagetungsten-halogen lamps withcool beam specular reflector

or new discharge lamps casta brilliant warm light. Used inconjunction with small lumi-naires, they can make for dis-creet, design-driven lightingsystems which integratesmoothly into the architec-ture of the room.

Whether the luminaires ofchoice for providing agree-able catering zone lighting aremini-spots, swivellable down-lights or decorative pendantluminaires, the important thingis that light must be providedat the right place. Glare fromunshielded general-diffuselamps in lines of sight or dis-turbing reflections on shinytabletops need to be avoided.Faces must be identifiablewithout excessive modellingand the colours of food anddrinks need to be natural. Foranyone looking across oraround the room, differencesin luminance levels should notbe marked.

Food presentation areas, e.g.buffets, should be brighterthan the rest of the room tomake them stand out fromthe surroundings. Lampsshould be selected for lowheat generation and goodcolour rendering properties,so compact fluorescentlamps, for example, are agood choice. Good glaresuppression is also a vitalfeature for luminaires usedhere.

In rest zones, lighting needsto be dimmable to meet dif-ferent requirements. Lightingsystems must also be flexi-ble and, if possible, non-di-rectional so that any changesin the room can be accom-modated without major mod-ifications to the lighting. Forreading and conversation,suitable lighting can be pro-vided by direct/indirect tableluminaires beside armchairs.They should be dimmableand, if possible, permit ad-justment of the way they dis-tribute their light: for reading,most of the lighting in theseating area should normallybe direct; for conversation, abright room and more indi-rect lighting are required.

45

46

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

Preferred types of lightingOffice workplaces/Office space Vertical surfaces/Communication zones

48

47

27

50

51

49

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

28

Outdoor areas / façades

T he visual impact of acompany buildingplays a signal role in

corporate culture. The façadeof a headquarter buildingmakes a crucial first impres-sion on visitors and generallyappears on or near the frontof image brochures. Theemotional impact of a buildingexterior can range from invit-ing to intimidating, the differ-ence often depending on nu-ances in proportions or light-ing at night.

In recent years, the illumina-tion of buildings for aestheticreasons has become a majorelement of urban design. Theartificial lighting of adminis-trative buildings, fountainsand bridges is increasinglyused to make the face of atown or city more attractiveand offer bright cheerful sur-roundings for people shop-ping or taking a stroll in theevening.

One of the first things thatneeds to be decided whendesigning exterior lighting fora building is light colour. Thewhite light generally emittedby fluorescent lamps is suit-able for modern architecturewith clear contours. Lumi-naires with tungsten-halogenlamps or high-pressure so-dium vapour lamps have awarmer light colour moreappropriate for classicalarchitecture with stucco or-namentation. To achieve thedesired effect and not over-load the façade and its sur-roundings, combinations ofdifferent light colours need tobe precisely planned.

For effective illumination ofindividual trees or groups oftrees, high-pressure sodiumvapour lamps are the pre-ferred solution for trees withlight-green leaves or needleswhereas metal halide lampsare recommended for treeswith dark or bluish-green fo-liage. This produces a par-ticularly interesting multi-coloured effect.

One of the primary purposesof façade lighting is to em-phasise architectural state-ment. Controlled use of light

and shade gives a building avivid presence during theevening and at night. Thecontours and colours of afaçade can be made tostand out by narrow- orwide-angled floods whiledetails such as pillars or de-corative elements can beemphasised by recessedground luminaires and down-lights.

The other prime task per-formed by exterior lighting isto facilitate orientation. Signsand car-parks, communica-tion routes and staircases aswell as the building entranceneed to be clearly identified.All the relevant areas mustalso be adequately bright be-cause dark patches and unlitcorners give visitors a senseof insecurity. Good glare sup-pression for luminaires is par-ticularly important for outdoorlighting.

Lighting should provide se-curity, especially where thereis a risk of accident. Bright,uniform lighting for car-parksaffords protection for mo-torists and pedestrians alike.Decorative bollard luminairesform part of the external ar-chitecture and provide lightingfor peripheral zones, pathsand steps.

Interesting light effects, en-hanced visual comfort andpower savings can also beachieved in exterior lightingby the use of a lighting controlsystem. Modern systems ad-just the brightness of thelighting as daylight fades ordeactivate individual groupsof luminaires where paths andcar-parks are not used atnight or at weekends.

More information on this sub-ject is provided in Booklet 16“Urban image lighting” of theFGL series “Information onLighting Applications”. Seealso Page 49.

52

53

15 STG 17/29

Ficus Benjamini

29

54

55

56

Limitation of direct and

reflected glare

Brightness/luminancedistribution

Direction of lightModelling Colour rendering Light colour

Lighting climate IlluminanceLighting level

Illuminance (lx)

02

2

1

1

30 100 300 1000 3000 10000

100%

+ 90°

– 90°

Ev

The quality features of lighting

Cylindrical illuminance is the mean vertical illuminance on thesurface of a cylinder

Subjective appraisal of what constitutes a “good” lighting levelfor reading at an office workplace:1 Half of respondents happy with illuminance values of 500 lx

or more2 A majority prefer illuminance values between 1000 and

3000 lx

30

Lighting technology

Part 1 | 2 | 3

T he right quality of light-ing and visual designof the working envi-

ronment are fundamental re-quirements for the efficient,fatigue-free performance ofvisual tasks. They also makefor a sense of well-being andboost motivation. Quality oflighting is defined by a num-ber of quality features.These must not be consid-ered in isolation, however, be-cause most of them interactwith one another. Where noattention is paid to glare limi-tation, for example, a highlighting level can cause visualdiscomfort and give rise toannoying reflections on VDUscreens.

But lighting quality featuresare not the only factors thatneed to be considered. Visu-al comfort and the visual am-bience of a room depend onan adequate supply of day-light, the design and colourscheme of the interior anddaylight-dependent controlof the quantity (lighting level)and quality (light colour, uni-formity) of the lighting. (57)

Fault-free, and fatigue-freeperformance of a visual taskis crucially dependent onlighting level, which in turnis defined by illuminance(expressed in lux/lx). Thehigher the lighting level, thebetter the visual performance,i.e. the faster and more ac-curately we register visual in-formation. The kind of illumi-nance levels found outdoors– where values range from10,000 lux on a cloudy day toover 100,000 lux in brightsunshine – cannot be realisedin a room. Studies show,however, that around 50%of respondents reckon that500 lx illuminance is a goodlighting level for reading. Hav-ing said that, the other 50%find it too low. (58)

For accurate identification offaces and other vertical sur-faces and objects in a room,the relevant yardstick is cy-lindrical illuminance. (59)

In an office, the lighting levelneeds to allow us to read andmake out information on bothscreen and paper without dif-ficulty. It must also permitvisual communication withpeople around us and theworking environment andhelp promote a general senseof well-being, motivation anddynamism. This calls for abalanced distribution ofbrightness in the visual field,i.e. the surroundings of theactual visual task. Brightnessdistribution depends on theuniformity of illuminance –primarily on the vertical sur-faces of walls, cabinets andpartitions – as well as the re-flectance of such surfacesand the brightness (lumi-nance) of windows.

Recommendedreflectance in offices:

ceiling 0.7 to 0.9walls 0.5 to 0.8floor 0.2 to 0.4work surfaces, furniture, equipment 0.2 to 0.7

The illuminance values rec-ommended for various visualtasks are shown in the tableon pages 36/37. The valuesstated are the minimum phys-iological requirements for ameasure of visual satisfac-tion. Higher values are fre-quently preferred, however,especially by older people,because the average 60-year-old needs around “twice asmuch light” as a 20-year-old.Higher values are also founduseful during the darkermonths of the year, whenthey help maintain concen-tration and motivation.

Illuminance must never fallbelow the recommended val-ues. These are service val-ues, designed to take ac-count of the fact that withincreasing length of service,illuminance decreases aslamps and luminaires age andbecome soiled and the re-flectance of surfaces in theroom declines. (60)

57

58

59

0Startup ➞ Period of service

New value

Service value assuming 3-year cleaning interval

System value without service

Nominal value

Mea

n ill

umin

ance

E

New value, nominal value and service value are local mean valuesat different points in a lighting system’s life

Horizontal task areas in an office:“VDU work” (green), “conference” (red) and “surrounding area”(yellow).Illuminance value reference height: 0.75 m above floor level

Vertical task areas in an office:e.g. “cabinet and shelving system surfaces” (blue)Illuminance value reference height: starting at 0.5 m rising to 2 mabove floor level, width according to objects

Areas defined by DIN 4543:The VDU task area (green) consists of a work surface (white desktop) and a user area (red).

DIN 4543 defines a “desk”task area as a work surface(desktop) plus a user area,the two together measuringat least 1600 mm x 1800mm. (63)

Cabinet and shelving systemtask areas extend from0.5 m to 2.0 m above floorlevel.

Outside these task areas,a lower lighting level is per-mitted because the sur-rounding space is not usedfor the performance of de-manding visual tasks.

The following table shows theilluminance values required fortask and surrounding areasand the minimum uniformityof illuminance expressed asthe quotient of minimum andmean values:

Task Surroundingarea area

≥ 750 lx 500 lx500 lx 300 lx300 lx 200 lxup to 200 lx up to 200 lxEmin / Em Emin / Em

min. 0.7 min. 0.5

31

To compensate for this de-crease, new lighting systemsneed to be designed for high-er illuminance (new value).The decrease is then takeninto consideration in planningby the application of a ser-vice factor: service factor xnew value = service value.

The service factor dependson the types of lamps andluminaires used, exposure todust and soiling in the room,service method and serviceintervals. In most cases, notenough is known at the light-ing design stage about thefactors that will define therate of decrease in illumin-ance, so a service factor of0.67 is applied for cleanroom conditions and 0.50 fordirty room conditions (e.g.rooms for smokers), assum-ing a three-year service inter-val and the use of modernlamps, electrical componentsand luminaires.

The illuminance values rec-ommended apply to the taskarea in which the visual taskis performed. The task areacan be a horizontal (e.g.table), a vertical (e.g. map)or an inclined surface (e.g.drawing table). Task areastypically found in an office aredesks, conference tables/areas, the vertical surfaces ofcabinets and shelving sys-tems, and stations for officemachinery such as copiersand fax machines. (61, 62)

60

61

62 63

Contrast rendering factors CRFand workplace requirements

Grade Mean values Minimum value Application example

1 over 1,0 0,95 Work involving predominantlyglossy materials, e.g. in graphicdesign offices

2 0,85 to 1,0 0,70 Work where glossy materialsare occasionally used, e.g. inoffices and schools

3 0,70 to 0,85 0,50 Tasks involving predominantlymatt materials

A

5001000

< 300500

2000 5001000

< 30010002000 < 300

< 300500

750

7501500

10002000

A123

1

2

3468

8 103 2 3 4 5 6 8 104 2 3 4

Luminance L in cd/m2

85°

75°

65°

55°

45°

hs

a

γ = 45°

γ = 85°

γ

Quality class for nominal illuminance (lx)

glare. Glare is then rated byreference to the formula-based UGR tables providedby lighting manufacturers. (65)

The two methods – the oneset out in DIN 5035 and theone defined in DIN EN 12464– produce comparable re-sults.

Reflected glare on shinyhorizontal surfaces (read-ing matter and paper for writ-ing) is assessed by using thecontrast rendering factor(CRF), which can be calcu-lated by special software. Fornormal office work, a meanvalue of CRF = 0.7 is highenough; only work involvinghigh-gloss materials calls for ahigher value. (66)

Reflected glare on VDUscreens is the most com-mon cause of complaints. It iseffectively avoided wheremonitors are arranged in sucha way that bright surfacessuch as windows, luminairesand bright walls cannot bereflected on screens. Wheresuch an arrangement is notpossible, the luminance of thesurfaces reflected on screensneeds to be reduced. For lu-minaires, DIN EN 12464 setsout luminance limits (68),which depend on the typeand anti-glare design of thecomputer screen used andapply to all emission anglesover 65° to the vertical allaround the vertical axis. (67)

The currently used luminance limiting curve method defined inDIN 5035 assesses the mean luminance of luminaires in a zoneof radiation from 45° to 85°.The new European standard sets UGR = 19 as a maximum per-missible value for offices, which is equivalent to the luminancelimiting curve for 500 lx in Quality Class 1.

Recommended CRF values for different materials used inoffice work

The UGR method takes account of all the luminaires in thesystem which contribute to the glare sensation as well as thebrightness of walls and ceilings. It produces a UGR index.

32

G lare is one of themost discomforting ofall visual problems. An

unshielded general-diffuselamp or the bright reflection ofa window on a VDU screenplaces considerable strain onour eyes. Glare can havephysiological consequences,e.g. impairment of visual acu-ity. A bright reflection on ascreen can obscure informa-tion and render it indecipher-able. In most cases, glare hasat least a psychological im-pact, causing fatigue and lossof concentration. Visual per-formance suffers and wemake mistakes.

A distinction is made bet-ween direct glare and reflect-ed glare. Direct glare occurswhere a very bright point oflight, e.g. the lamp of a lumi-naire, is located in the visualfield. Direct glare can beavoided by the use of appro-priate luminaires and correctpositioning of luminaires andworkplaces.

Reflected glare occurs as aresult of disturbing reflectionson shiny or reflective surfaces.These surfaces can be VDUscreens, items of furniture orglossy paper. So to avoid re-flected glare, it is necessary tolook at not only the type andarrangement of luminaires inthe room but also the materi-als and finishes of the officefurniture and the positioningof monitors.

Direct glare from luminairesin the past was appraised bythe luminance limiting curvemethod described in DIN5035. (64)

Under the new Europeanstandard for interior work-place lighting DIN EN 12464,(psychological) glare is as-sessed by the unified glarerating method (UGR), which isbased on a formula for glare.It takes account of all the lu-minaires in a system con-tributing to the sensation of

Lighting technology

Part 1 | 2 | 3

64

65

66

VDUsmean luminance of

luminaires and surfaceswhich reflect on screens

≤ 1000 cd/m2

Positive display VDUs

Negative display VDUs with high-grade anti-reflective system Evidence of test certificate required

Negative display VDUs with lower-grade anti-reflective system ≤ 200 cd/m2

65°

Depending on the class of VDU, the mean luminance of luminaireswhich could be reflected on the screen needs to be limited to200 cd/m2 or 1000 cd/m2 above a threshold angle of radiation ofγ ≥ 65° (calculated at 15° intervals all around the vertical axis) toavoid disturbing reflections.

Classification of VDUs on the basis of anti-reflective systems andtype of display. The cd/m2 values indicate the maximum permis-sible mean luminance of luminaires which could be reflected onthe screen (in accordance with DIN EN 12464)

A positive (negative) displayshows dark (light) characterson a light (dark) background.For a person to be able toregister screen informationwithout disturbance, VDUswith a lower-grade anti-re-flective system require agreater reduction in luminaireluminance than high-gradeanti-reflective screens. Thetable shows the maximumpermissible mean luminanceof luminaires which couldbe reflected on a screen (inaccordance with DIN EN12464). (68)

Without light, we cannot seethree-dimensional objects.Without shadows, we seethem only as two-dimension-al images. The parametersthat define the depth andbody of an object are direc-tion of light and modelling– because light and shadowplay a vital role in enabling usto make out shapes, surfacesand structures. A bright roomwith only diffuse non-model-ling light makes a monoto-nous impression; the lack ofvisual guidance and the diffi-culty in identifying objects andgauging distances cause dis-comfort.

Direction of light and model-ling help define visual ambi-ence. A good ratio of diffuse

light – e.g. from indirect light-ing components – to direc-tional light – e.g. from lou-vered luminaires or down-lights – produces agreeableshadowing. The direction oflight is generally determinedby the daylight entering theroom from a particular direc-tion through the windows.Artificial lighting is used toprevent the excessive model-ling that can result, for exam-ple, in disturbing shadowsbeing cast ahead of our handas we write.

Where luminaires are arrang-ed parallel to a window wall,the rear row of luminaires canlighten any dark shadows thatmight occur during the day.As daylight fades, the frontrow of luminaires near thewindows can be partially orfully activated to replace thenatural lighting.

Disturbing reflection ofluminaires on a screenand negative impact ofreflected glare on thelegibility of glossy docu-ments. Both need tobe avoided by careful positioning of luminairesor by limiting luminance.

Unfavourable light dis-tribution with disturbing

shadows obscuring whathas been “written”.

The lower graphic showsthe correct incidence of

light and shadowing for aright-handed person: the

light falls on the desk fromtop left and the hand does

not cast a shadow overthe writing area.

33

67

68

69 70

2000 K

4000 K

5000 K

6000 K 10000 K

3000 K

Despite identical light colour, the different colour renderingproperties of lamps lead to variations in colour perception.Where, for instance, the spectrum of a lamp contains only alittle red light (right), red surface colours are only imperfectlyrendered.

Light colour nw neutral whiteLight colour dw daylight white

Light colour ww warm white Light colour incandescent lamp

Fluorescent lamps have aline or band spectrum.Shown here as examples arethe spectra of fluorescentlamps in each of the threegroups dw, nw and ww.

In contrast, the incandes-cent lamp exhibits a con-tinuous spectrum.

Lighting technology

Part 1 | 2 | 3

T he light colour of alamp is described interms of the colour

temperature Tf and unitsKelvin (K). The Kelvin temperature scalebegins at absolute zero(0 Kelvin ≈ –273 °C)The colour temperature of alight source is defined bycomparison with the colourof a “black-body radiator”. A“black-body radiator” is an“idealised” solid body – e.g.made of platinum – which ab-sorbs all light hitting it andtherefore has a reflective ra-diance of zero.

When a “black body” is heat-ed slowly, it passes throughgradations of colour fromdark red, red, orange, yellowand white to blue light. Thehigher the temperature, thewhiter the colour. The tem-perature in K of a “black bodyradiator” at which it has the

same colour as the lightsource being measured is themost similar colour temper-ature of that light source.

Lamps with the same lightcolour can emit light of com-pletely different spectral com-position and therefore quitedifferent colour renderingproperties. It is not possible todraw conclusions about thequality of colour renderingfrom the light colour.

The light colour of lamps:

Colour tempe-Light colour rature in Kelvinwarm white < 3300neutral white 3300 – 5000daylight white > 5000

34

The International Commissionon Illumination CIE has deviseda triangle in which the coloursof light sources and surfacecolours can be classified.Achromatic light, i.e. white,grey or black, is found at x = y= 0.333, depending on bright-ness. All the other colours liearound this point. Along thestraight line from the achromat-ic position to the limiting curve

(which represents the spectralcolours of sunlight) lie thecolours of the same hue butdiffering degrees of saturation.The saturation increases to-wards the limiting curve. Thecolour triangle contains all realcolours. The curve describesthe colours of the “black-bodyradiator” for the temperaturesgiven (in Kelvin).

76

72 73

74 75

71

35

Colours have a significantbearing on the way we ex-perience our surroundings.Whether a room has a warmor cold atmosphere is deter-mined by the materials in itand their colours. The waythe colours of objects areperceived, however, dependsalso on the colour render-ing properties of the lighting.

The colour rendering indexRa indicates how well coloursare rendered by lamps.Where lamps have a high in-dex of 90 or more, all coloursare rendered very accurately;where the index is lower, thecolours we perceive arecorrupted. Reds then lookorange, greens appear yel-low.

Lamps are divided for con-venience into colour renderingcategories. Most lamps havea colour rendering index ofover 80 and thus rendercolours well enough for us toperceive them as natural. In-candescent lamps, tungsten-halogen lamps, certain metalhalide lamps and a number offluorescent lamps have acolour rendering index of over90, which means they renderall colours very accurately.

Owing to stored “visual standards”, skincolour is perceived as natural even wherecolour rendering departs from the daylightnorm. Colour rendering needs to be good.

Artificial lighting using lamps with verygood colour rendering (colour renderingindex Ra > 90) reproduces all surfacecolours accurately.

77

78 79

80

36

Minimum lightingrequirements

Minimum lighting requirements recommended by E DIN 5035-7

Type of interior

Offices andsimilar rooms

Individual VDUworkplaces

Lighting concept and visual task

Room-related lighting– throughout the room,

less a 0.5 m fringe – cabinet and shelving system surfaces

Task area lighting– VDU work– conference– cabinet and shelving system surfaces– surrounding area

Work surface lighting– work surface 600 x 600 mm– task area VDU work

incl. work surface – conference– cabinet and shelving system surfaces– surrounding area

Task area lighting– VDU work

Work surface lighting– work surface 600 x 600 mm– task area VDU work

incl. work surface

Horizontalillumin-

ance

Eh,mlx

500

500500

300

750500

500

300

500

750500

Cylin-drical

illumin-ance

Ez,mlx

175

175175

175

175

100

Verticalillumin-

ance

Ev,mlx

175

175

175

UGRL

19

19

19191919

1919

191919

Ra

80

80

80808080

8080

808080

Remarks

Eh,m: g1=0.6 Ez,m: g1=0.5

g1=0.5

Eh,m: g1=0.6 Ez,m: g1=0.5Eh,m: g1=0.6 Ez,m: g1=0.5g1=0.5g1=0.5

g1=0.7Ehmin ≥ 300 lx Ez,m: g1=0.5

Eh,m: g1=0.6 Ez,m: g1=0.5g1=0.5Eh,m: g1=0.5 Ez,m: g1=0.5

g1=0.6

g1=0.7Ehmin ≥ 300 lx

Room-related lightingUniform lighting throughout the room creating roughly the same visual con-ditions at all points. This is recommended where the arrangement of taskareas is unknown during the planning phase or where the arrangement oftask areas needs to be flexible.

Task area lightingDifferent lighting for task areas and the space around them. This is recom-mended where a room contains several task areas which are used to addressdifferent visual tasks and thus have different lighting requirements. It is alsoan option where visual divisions are needed to identify different workplaceclusters.

Work surface lightingWorkplace luminaires can be used to supplement “basic lighting” – which canbe either room-related or task area lighting – to achieve a level of lighting fine-ly tuned to the requirements of the visual task or personal needs. DIN 5035-8sets out requirements and recommendations for workplace luminaires.

81 82

83

Room-related lighting Task area lighting

Work surface lighting

Minimum lighting requirements recommended by DIN EN 12464

Type of visual task

Office work

Public areas,service halls

Conventionaldesign anddrafting offices

Ancillary rooms

Outdoor facilities

Notes on the tables

Eh,m is the service value of illuminance at the visual task, which is generally on ahorizontal plane and, in the case of desks, 0.75 m above floor level. In thecase of communication routes, this assessment value is max. 0.2 m abovefloor level.

Ez,m is the service value of cylindrical illuminance 1.2 m above floor level. It defineshow well we identify three-dimensional objects such as figures, faces, etc.,and is particularly important for visual communication.

filing, copyingcommunication zones in work roomswriting, typewritingreading, data processingCAD workplacesconference and meeting roomsreception deskarchives

entrance hallscloakroomswaiting roomscashdesks and service points

drafting rooms art school drawing rooms rooms for technical drawing

transport and communication routes– not for persons– for persons– for persons and vehicles

staircases, escalators, moving walkwayscanteenscounter rest roomsphysical exercise roomstearoomskitchenchanging rooms, washrooms and toiletsfirst aid rooms medical service rooms building service management rooms, control roomstelex and mail rooms, telephone exchange workplacesstorage rooms and warehouse facilitiesdespatch and packaging areas

Gatesworks roads with max 30 km/h speed limitpathwayscycle pathscar-parks with low traffic loadgarages without daylight– transport routes– parking spaces– vehicle entrances and exits at night– vehicle entrances and exits during the day– ticket windows

Illuminance onvisual task plane

Emlx

300300500500500500300200

100200200300

500750750

20100150150200300100300200500200500500200500100300

5010

5Emin ≥ 3

7

757575300300

UGRL

1919191919192225

22252222

191916

–28282522222222222225191625192525

25–

252519

Ra

8080808080808080

80808080

809080

4040404080808080808080809060806060

2020202080

Remarks

lighting adjustable

UGRL only where applicable

colour temperature ≥ 5000 K

colour temperature ≥ 4000 K

200 lx, where permanently manned

g1 = 0.5g1 = 0.4

g2 ≥ 0.08g2 ≥ 0.3g1 = 0.2

Ev,m is the service value of vertical illuminance on cabinet and shelving systemwalls which is needed for the performance of visual tasks, e.g. reading fileand book spines.

g1; g2 uniformity of illuminance: g1 = Emin / Em; g2 = Emin / Emax

UGRL limiting glare index according to the unified glare rating system

Ra general colour rendering index

37

1 2 3 54

1111

38

B elow are the most im-portant types of lampfor office applications.

1, 2, 3Linear three-bandfluorescent lamps26 mm (T8) and 16 mm (T5)dia. three-band fluorescentlamps have a high luminousefficacy, good colour render-ing properties and a long ser-vice life. They are available inthe light colours warm white(ww), neutral white (nw) anddaylight white (dw). Operatedby electronic ballasts (EBs),they achieve an even higherluminous efficacy and longerservice life. T5 lamps are de-signed for EB operation only.Dimming control of three-band fluorescent luminairesis possible with appropriateEBs.

4, 5, 6, 7Compact fluorescentlamps Compact fluorescent lampsgenerate light in the sameway as linear fluorescentlamps. They have thin inter-connected fluorescent tubespositioned side by side andrequire a ballast and starterfor operation. Starters aregenerally integrated in thelamps. Dimming and starter-less operation are possiblewith EBs, which also makefor higher luminous efficacyand longer service life.

8, 9, 10Energy-saving lampsEnergy-saving lamps arecompact fluorescent lampswith an integrated electronicballast. They have either ascrew base (E14/E27) or abayonet base (GX53). Ener-gy-saving lamps consume80% less power and have aconsiderably longer life thanincandescent lamps with thesame power rating.

11, 12, 13230 V halogen lampsThese lamps are designed fordirect line operation. Theyproduce an agreeable, freshwhite light and lend them-selves readily to dimming.Halogen lamps have a longerlife than incandescent lampsand generate more light fromthe same power. Thanks tothe halogen process, lumi-

nous flux remains constantthroughout the life of the lamp(no bulb blackening).

14, 15Low-voltage halogenlampsTo operate these lamps, atransformer is needed to re-duce the voltage to 12 V.Low-voltage halogen lampshave a UV shield, which elim-inates undesirable UV raysfrom the light they radiate.

16, 17Metal halide lampsThese lamps are noted fortheir high luminous efficacyand excellent colour renderingproperties. Because of thesmall dimensions of theirburner, they make particular-ly good sources of direction-al light. The ceramic burnerproduces light of a constantcolour throughout its servicelife. An inductive ballast andstarter or EB are needed tooperate metal halide lamps.

18Light-emitting diodes(LEDs)LEDs have a very long ser-vice life, so they rarely need tobe replaced. They are ex-tremely small, very powerfulconsidering the voltage andcurrents they operate on,have a high resistance to im-pact and emit neither IR norUV radiation. They are de-signed for 24 Volt d.c. opera-tion. LEDs are available inmany colours, e.g. blue,green, yellow and red. Thespecial fluorescent coating inblue LEDs produces daylightwhite light (6,000 K) withgood colour rendering prop-erties (Ra = 80). Importantlighting applications for LEDsare orientation and decora-tive lighting. The illustration on the rightshows LEDs on a flexibleprinted-circuit board.

LampsNo. Lamp type

Linear three-band fluorescent lamps

1 T5; 16 mm dia. – high luminous efficacy 1)

2 T5; 16 mm dia. – high luminous flux 1)

3 T5; 26 mm dia.

Compact fluorescent lamps

4 2-, 4-, 6-tube lamp

5 2-tube lamp

6 4-tube lamp

7 2D lamp

Energy-saving lamps

8 Miniature

9 Candle

10 Incandescent-shape

230 V halogen lamps

11 with jacket

12 with reflector

13 with base at both ends

Low voltage 12 V halogen lamps

14 pin-based lamps

15 with reflector

Metal halide lamps

16 with base at one end

17 with base at both ends

Light emitting diodes

18 LEDs on flexible printed-circuit board

1) for EB operation only 2) luminous flux at 25°C

8 1096 7

131212 16

18

17

14 1414 15

39.

Power rating Luminous flux Luminous Light colour Ra BaseW lm efficacy

lm/W

14 – 35 1200 – 3300 2) 86 – 94 ww, nw, dw 80 < 90 G5

24 – 80 1750 – 6150 2) 73 – 77 ww, nw, dw 80 < 90 G5

18 – 58 1350 – 5200 75 – 90 3) ww, nw, dw 80 < 90 G13

5 – 57 250 – 4300 50 – 75 ww, nw 80 < 90 GX24, G23/24, 2G7

18 – 80 1200 – 6000 67 – 75 ww, nw, dw 80 < 90 2G11

18 – 36 1100 – 2800 61 – 78 ww, nw 80 < 90 2G10

10 – 55 650 – 3900 65 – 71 ww, nw, dw 80 < 90 GR8, GR10q, GRY10q-3

7 220 31 ww, nw 80 < 90 GX53

5 – 12 150 – 600 30 – 50 ww 80 < 90 E14

5 – 23 150 – 1350 30 – 59 ww 80 < 90 E27

25 – 250 260 – 4300 10 – 17 ww ≥ 90 E14, E27

40 – 100 – – ww ≥ 90 E14, E27, GZ10, GU10

60 – 2000 840 – 44000 14 – 22 ww ≥ 90 R7s

5 – 100 60 – 2200 12 – 22 ww ≥ 90 G4, GY6,35,

20 – 50 – – ww ≥ 90 GU5,3

35 – 150 3300 – 14000 85 – 95 ww, nw 80 < 90, ≥ 90 G12, G8,5

70 – 400 6500 – 14000 90 ww,nw 80 < 90, ≥ 90 RX7s, Fc2

0,7 – 1,5 18 – 27 13 – 23 – – special

3) luminous efficacy increases to 81 – 100 lm/W with EB operation

1

7

4

Different types of lumi-naire are needed foroffice lighting, their se-

lection depending on thenature of the building, thekind of visual activity per-formed, room dimensions,daylight incidence and interi-or decoration and furnishings.Together, as individual ele-ments or as lighting groups,they form the building's light-ing systems – developed inconsultation with all the dif-ferent specialists involved inoffice design. The range oflighting tools available spanssurface-mounted, recessed,pendant, wall, desktop, tableand standard luminaires aswell as spots in a wide varietyof power ratings and designs.

From this range of availableluminaires, selection can bebased on lighting, electricaland design characteristics.

Lighting characteristics

Information on the lightingcharacteristics of a luminaireis provided by its intensity dis-tribution curve (IDC). Thisshows the pattern of illumi-nance the luminaire createsand is used for assessingglare.

Another important lighting cri-terion for luminaires is lightoutput ratio, which indicatesthe proportion of lamp lumi-nous flux available in theroom. The higher the ratio,the greater the efficiency andeconomy with which the lu-minaire harnesses the lumi-nous flux of its lamps.

The decision for or against aluminaire for a particular ap-plication can also be swayedby the standard of glare limi-tation the luminaire achieves.

Glare limitation means effec-tive shielding of lamps at crit-ical angles, which significant-ly enhances the quality oflighting.

1 Recessed luminairewith prismatic diffuser

2 Recessed luminairewith specular louvers

3 Recessed wallwasher

4 Square recessed louveredluminaire

5 Surface-mounted luminairewith specular louvers

6 Square surface-mountedlouvered luminaire

7 Pendant luminaire withspecular louvers fordirect/indirect lighting

8 Pendant luminaire withoptical control panels fordirect/indirect lighting

9 Tubetrack system withthree-phase power trackand spots

Luminaires

Part 1 | 2

40

3

6

98

5

2

41

10

13

16

Electrical characteristics

The electrical characteristicsof a luminaire depend, in part,on the kind of electrical com-ponents it features for safe,fault-free lamp operation.With fluorescent lamps, forexample, greater energy ef-ficiency – i.e. lower systempower consumption – can beachieved by the use of elec-tronic ballasts (EBs). EBs alsodouble as starters and p.f.correction capacitors and dis-continue starting attempts ifthe lamp is defective. To meet lighting safety re-quirements, luminaires andintegrated electrical controlgear must comply with IEC598 regulations and displaythe ENEC symbol.

Design characteristics

Design characteristics are al-so, of course, an importantfactor to consider whenchoosing luminaires. The na-ture of the ceilings in a build-ing, for example, may pre-scribe or preclude the use ofsurface-mounted, recessedor pendant luminaires. As-sembly and maintenance areanother significant aspect,and a touchstone of luminaireconstruction. Well-designedassembly aids or practical in-stallation accessories cansimplify considerably the taskof installing luminaires.

The appearance of a lumi-naire – i.e. shape of housing,finishes and colours – greatlyaffects the visual impact ofan interior and, along with re-liability, economy and stabilityof value, is becoming an in-creasingly important criterionfor luminaire selection.

10 Surface-mounted reflectorluminaires

11 Recessed downlight

12 Surface-mounted downlight

18 Escape sign luminaire

13 Standard luminaires forindirect or direct/indirectlighting

14 Workplace or desktopluminaires

15 Wall luminaires

17 Recessed floor and wall luminaires

16 Decorative recessed spots

42

Luminaires

Part 1 | 2

11 12

1514

17 18

43

44

Lighting management

Light has an emotionalimpact. The right lightat the right place in the

right quantity stimulates andfosters a sense of well-being.In office and administrativebuildings in particular, light-ing management plays a cen-tral role, providing the regula-tion needed to produce lightthat activates, motivates andhelps maintain contentmentand concentration. It also en-sures the optimal visual com-fort and maximum visual per-formance that most activitiesrequire for effective work, es-pecially at VDU workplaces.

Aside from that, lighting man-agement means generatingdynamic lighting for differen-tiated lighting landscapes.One important function it per-forms is to adjust lighting lev-els in line with fluctuations indaylight, another is to avoidthe uniform lighting levels thatlead to visual fatigue. So theobjective of good lightingmanagement is to achieve adynamic combination of day-light and artificial lightingwhich harnesses the stimu-lating differences and inter-action between the two.

With more and more areasof office and administrativebuildings performing not justa productive but also a rep-resentative function, lightingmanagement is also neededto help cast rooms in the rightlight. Pre-programmed orvariable lighting scenes de-fine mood and direct atten-tion, picking out focal pointsand creating the right visualambience. For seminars andconferences involving multi-media presentations in par-ticular, effective and individ-ual lighting management isan essential element of interi-or design.

Another important aspect iseconomy. Lighting manage-ment systems save as muchas 60% of the energy costsof operating artificial lighting;electronic ballasts make fornot only significantly higherluminous efficacy but alsoshort lamp starting times for

flicker-free lighting and lowermaintenance costs due tolonger intervals between re-lamping.

Daylight- and presence-de-pendent lighting control sys-tems make for significant en-ergy savings in many partsof office and administrativebuildings. In most corridorsand stairwells, and in manyoffices as well, lighting isswitched on in the morningand off in evening regardlessof fluctuations in daylight in-cidence or the fact that thecorridor or office might notbe used for several hours.

Lighting in individual roomsor small building units can besimply, flexibly and conve-niently regulated by DALIcomponents. DALI (DigitalAddressable Lighting Inter-face) is a digital interface forelectronic ballasts (EBs) op-erating discharge lamps.

DALI is an independent sys-tem which controls all thelighting system componentsin a room and also offers thepossibility of exchanging in-formation though a gatewaywith a higher-level buildingservices management sys-tem. This permits centralswitching and scanning, e.g.for defective lamps.

The working group AG DALI,which operates under thewing of the German electri-cal and electronics associa-tion Zentralverband Elek-trotechnik- und Elektronikin-dustrie e.V. (ZVEI), numbersEurope’s leading electroniclighting component manu-facturers among its members.The ZVEI also provides infor-mation on the subject of light-ing management and DALI.

Lighting regulation and control today are a task forcomputers. Special hardware and software permit fulllighting management and economical use of artificiallighting.

Daylight is still the best form of lighting around. Intelli-gent computerised lighting systems use artificial light-ing as a daylight supplement.

84

85

45

In rooms which need to cater to various sets of lighting require-ments, such as conference rooms or lecture halls, regulation andcontrol of the different types of lighting required are facilitated bycomputerised lighting management systems. These permit pro-

In the morning, incident daylight is generallyenough for tasks performed at a desk. Therow of luminaires near the window is dim-med down, the row behind it illuminates theentrance area and makes for a uniform dis-tribution of brightness in the room.

At mid-day, the room is illuminated bybright daylight. Both rows of luminaires aredeactivated. On a cloudy day, the sensor-controlled rows of luminaires maintain theilluminance throughout the room at anagreeably high level.

In the evening, the artificial lighting takes over.The two rows of luminaires are equally brightand ensure a harmonious distribution of bright-ness throughout the room. As soon as theroom is vacated, presence detectors reducethe illuminance or deactivate the lighting.

grammed lighting scenes to be fine-tuned to requirements andstored for re-use at any time. For lectures and receptions, confer-ences and video presentations, the best possible room lighting isthus available at the push of a button.

86 87 88

89

46

Lighting management

L ighting is an importantcost factor in the con-struction and operation

of an office and administrativebuilding. However, artificiallighting accounts for only1– 2% of the investmentcosts of equipping and fur-nishing a workplace. Thebuilding, furniture and com-puter equipment costs are agreat deal higher. 80% of thetotal bill relates to personnelexpenses, 16% to operatingexpenses and 4% to con-struction expenses. Lightingcan account for as much as athird of operating costs.

So it is all the more impor-tant that employees shouldwork efficiently. Good light-ing is not only important forvisibility at desks and in theroom: it also plays a key rolein fostering a sense of well-being and thus enhancingstaff performance. Accordingto a study, 57% of employeesfind their office lighting asource of disturbance. Afterdry air and noise, poor light-ing is the third most frequentcomplaint.

Two cost factors need to beconsidered when selecting alighting system for a new orrefurbished building: capitalcosts (i.e. the cost of acqui-sition and assembly) and op-erating costs (electricity, re-placement lamps, mainte-nance). An efficient modernlighting system reduces an-nual operating costs andpays for itself within the spaceof a few years, even whereacquisition costs are relative-ly high.

New lamp and luminaire tech-nologies permit more eco-nomical lighting system op-eration and a better qualityof lighting than even a fewyears ago. Newly developedlamps, such as T5 fluores-cent lamps and compact flu-orescent lamps, make forhigher luminous efficacy. Elec-tronic ballasts reduce inter-nal losses and offer flicker-free lighting and better lampstarting performance. Newreflector materials and de-signs heighten the light out-put ratio and degree of glaresuppression of luminaires.

Lots of glass in façades consid-erably reduces the need for arti-ficial lighting during the day andgives the building a more open,more inviting appearance atnight. Illuminated architecturalelements or entrance zonesbring the image to life andguide the visitor into the build-ing. Powerful modern flood-lights with metal halide lampspermit economical dramaticlighting.

In lecture halls, lighting man-agement systems enable theright lighting situation for theoccasion to be selected at anytime. For service operations, forexample, computerised controlallows the level of brightness inthe room to be reduced to theminimum required for the task.For lectures, certain spots andspecific parts of the accentlighting system can be activat-ed alone at the push of a but-ton.

With modern, power-savingfluorescent lamps, daylightdomes at night can be turnedinto luminous ceilings. Only afew luminaires are needed toprovide bright agreeable roomlighting and create an invitingatmosphere. The lighting man-agement system regulates theartificial lighting and produceslight similar to daylight, evenof a similar light colour, if re-quired. Options range fromdaylight white through neutralwhite to warm white.

90

91

92

Literature, standards and LiTG publications

The texts for the sections “Office design” (pages 4 and 5) and“Features” (pages 9 to 23) of this booklet are based on:Lorentz, D: “Büro nach Maß, aktuelle Büroformen im Vergleich” (Thecustomised office – A comparison of contemporary office types), in Knirsch, J.: “Büroräume . Bürohäuser” (Offices · Office buildings),published by Verlagsanstalt Alexander Koch, Leinfelden-Echterdingen,2nd enlarged and updated edition 2002; pp 58 – 70.

FGL Information on Lighting Applications For more information on issues addressed in Booklet 4, see booklets 1, 3, 10, 12 and 16

LiTGPublication 12.2: 1996 “Messung und Beurteilung von Lichtimmissio-nen künstlicher Lichtquellen” (Measurement and assessment of lightimmissions from artificial light sources) Publication 13: 1991 “Der Kontrastwiedergabefaktor CEF – ein Güte-merkmal der Innenraumbeleuchtung” (Contrast rendering factor CRF –an interior lighting quality factor)Publication 16: 1998 “Energiesparlampen – ein Kompendium zuKompaktleuchtstofflampen mit integrierten Vorschaltgeräten” (Energy-saving lamps – a compendium of compact fluorescent lamps withintegrated ballasts)Publication 18: 1999 “Verfahren zur Berechnung von horizontalen Be-leuchtungsstärken in Innenräumen” (Methods for calculating horizontalilluminance in interiors)Publication ##: “Das UGR-Verfahren zur Bewertung der Direktblen-dung der künstlichen Beleuchtung in Innenräumen” (The UGR methodof assessing direct glare from artificial lighting in interiors) (in preparation)

ZVEIDALI-Handbuch (DALI manual), Fachverband Elektroleuchten im ZVEI,Frankfurt/Main

VBG BGI 650 Bildschirm- und Büroarbeitsplätze (VDU and officeworkplaces)VBG BGI 827 Sonnenschutz im Büro (Sunscreening in offices)VBG BGI 856 Beleuchtung im Büro (Office lighting)

DIN EN 12464-1 Light and lighting – Lighting of work places – Part 1:Indoor work places (due for publication mid-2003)DIN 5035 Artificial lighting. Some of the contents of Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4of DIN 5035 are superseded by DIN EN 12464, others remainoperative. Part 5 has been replaced by DIN EN 1838. DIN 5035-6 Measurement and evaluationE DIN 5035-7 Lighting for rooms with VDU work stations or VDU-assisted workplacesDIN 5035-8 Special requirements for the lighting of single work-placesin offices and similar roomsDIN 4543-1 Office work place, Part 1 Space for the arrangement anduse of office furniture ; safety requirements, testingDIN EN ISO 9241-6 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visualdisplay terminals (VDTs). Part 6: Guidance on the work environmentDIN EN 1838 Emergency lightingDIN 5044 Permanent traffic lighting

ASR 7/3 Workplace guideline on “Lighting”

Acknowledgements for photographs

1Top left and bottom left: König+Neurath, 61184 Karben;right: Steelcase-Werndl, 83026 Rosenheim4, 9, 13, 15, 20, 25, 28, 34, 37, 43, 49 and middle of back coverImage Source AG, 50939 Köln22, 40, 78, 79Kress & Adams, Atelier für Lichtplanung, 50735 Köln80Valentin Wormbs, 70180 StuttgartAll other photos, 3D visualisations and graphicsFördergemeinschaft Gutes Licht (FGL)

Literature, standards and LiTG publications/acknowledgements for photographs

For documentary assistance with the work for this booklet, we wish to thank: plus+bauplanung GmbH, Hübner-Forster-Hübner Freie Architekten, 72654Neckartenzlingen and Electric Exclusiv, 50667 Köln

Ord

er fo

rmP

leas

e tic

k bo

okle

t(s) r

equi

red.

Pric

es g

iven

incl

ude

post

age.

(G=

avai

labl

e on

ly in

Ger

man

; P=

avai

labl

e on

ly a

s pd

f file

, dow

nloa

d at

ww

w.li

cht.d

e):

Boo

klet

No.

/Titl

eQ

ty

01

Ligh

ting

with

Art

ifici

al L

ight

(5/0

0)R

9,–

02G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Sch

ools

and

Edu

catio

nal E

stab

lishm

ents

(1/9

4)*

R9,

–

03G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Saf

ety

on R

oads

, P

aths

and

Squ

ares

(3/0

0)R

9,–

04G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Offi

ces

and

Offi

ce B

uild

ings

(1/0

3)P

05G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Trad

e an

d In

dust

ry (4

/99)

R9,

–

06G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Sal

es P

rem

ises

and

Sho

p W

indo

ws

(2/0

2)P

07G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Hea

lth C

are

Pre

mis

es (7

/94)

*R

9,–

08G

ood

Ligh

ting

for

Spo

rts

Faci

litie

s (9

/01)

P

09P

rest

ige

Ligh

ting

(8/9

7)R

9,–

10

Not

bele

ucht

ung,

Sic

herh

eits

bele

ucht

ung

(4/0

0)G

R9,

–

11

Goo

d Li

ghtin

g fo

r H

otel

s an

d R

esta

uran

ts (4

/00)

R9,

–

12

Eco

nom

ical

Lig

htin

g C

omfo

rt w

ith L

ight

ing

Ele

ctro

nics

(8/9

6)*

R9,

–

13

– ou

t of

prin

t –

G–

14

Idee

n fü

r G

utes

Lic

ht z

um W

ohne

n (9

/99)

GR

9,–

15

Gut

es L

icht

am

Hau

s un

d im

Gar

ten

(9/9

4)G

–

16

Urb

an im

age

light

ing

(4/0

2)P

Lich

tforu

mfr

ee o

f cha

rge

* N

ew e

ditio

n in

pre

para

tion

Pla

ceD

ate

Sig

natu

re/s

tam

p

Ple

ase

fill i

n ad

dres

s on

bac

k of

pos

tcar

d.

Pos

tage

st

amp

Pos

tcar

d

Förd

erge

mei

nsch

aft

Gut

es L

icht

Pos

tfach

70

1261

6059

1 Fr

ankf

urt

am M

ain

Ger

man

y

From

Nam

e, C

ompa

ny,

Offi

ce

Dep

artm

ent

c/o

Add

ress

or

P.O

. B

ox

City

, P

osta

l Cod

e

3/03

/00/

4IV

E

Imprint

4This booklet is No. 4 in theseries Information onLighting Applications published by Fördergemein-schaft Gutes Licht (FGL) toprovide information on goodlighting with artificial light.

The titles and numbers of allthe booklets in this series aregiven on the opposite page.

All the German booklets areavailable as print versions,with Booklets 3, 4, 6, 8 and16 additionally available aspdf files for downloading atwww.licht.de. The Englishversion of Booklet 3 is alsopublished in both print andpdf format, while Booklets 4,6, 8 and 16 are available inEnglish for download only.

Publisher: Fördergemeinschaft Gutes Licht (FGL) Stresemannallee 1960596 Frankfurt am MainGermanyphone ++49 (0)69 63 02-0fax ++49 (0)69 63 02-317e-mail fgl@zvei.orgwww.licht.de

Technical consultant: FördergemeinschaftGutes Licht

Overall design: IMAGORATIOKöln

3D visualisations: JARO MedienMönchengladbach

Lith film: Donner & NagelEssen

Printed by: westermann druckBraunschweig

Acknowledgements: The booklets in this seriescontain references to currentDIN standards and VDEstipulations.

DIN standards:Beuth-Verlag, 10787 Berlin,Germany

DIN-VDE standards:VDE-Verlag, 10625 Berlin,Germany

ISBN: 3-926193-20-04

Reprint: With the permission of the publishers.3/03/00/4 IVE

Order form

Please tick booklet(s) required. P

rices given include postage. (G= available only in G

erman; P

= available only as pdf file, download at w

ww

.licht.de):

Booklet N

o./TitleQ

ty

01

Lighting with A

rtificial Light (5/00)R

9,–

02G

ood Lighting for Schools and E

ducational Establishm

ents(1/94)*R

9,–

03G

ood Lighting for Safety on R

oads, Paths and S

quares (3/00)R

9,–

04G

ood Lighting for Offices and O

ffice Buildings (1/03)

P

05G

ood Lighting for Trade and Industry (4/99)R

9,–

06G

ood Lighting for Sales P

remises and S

hop Window

s (2/02)P

07G

ood Lighting for Health C

are Prem

ises (7/94)*R

9,–

08G

ood Lighting for Sports Facilities (9/01)

P

09P

restige Lighting (8/97)R

9,–

10

Notbeleuchtung, S

icherheitsbeleuchtung (4/00)G

R9,–

11

Good Lighting for H

otels and Restaurants (4/00)

R9,–

12

Econom

ical Lighting Com

fort with Lighting E

lectronics (8/96)*R

9,–

13

– out of print –G

–

14

Ideen für Gutes Licht zum

Wohnen (9/99)

GR

9,–

15

Gutes Licht am

Haus und im

Garten (9/94)

G–

16

Urban im

age lighting (4/02)P

Lichtforumfree of charge

* New

edition in preparation

Place

Date

Signature/stam

p

Please fill in address on back of postcard.

Postage stam

pP

ostcard

Fördergemeinschaft

Gutes Licht

Postfach 70

1261

60591 Frankfurt am M

ainG

ermany

From

Nam

e, Com

pany, Office

Departm

ent

c/o

Address or P

.O. B

ox

City, P

ostal Code

3/03/00/4IV

E

Gutes Licht für Büros und Verwaltungsgebäude 4

49

Information from Fördergemeinschaft Gutes Licht

F ördergemeinschaftGutes Licht (FGL)provides information

on the advantages of goodlighting and offers exten-sive material dealing withevery aspect of artificiallighting and its correct us-age. FGL information is im-partial and based on cur-rent DIN standards andVDE stipulations.

Information on LightingApplications The booklets 1 to 16 in thisseries of publications aredesigned to help anyonewho becomes involved withlighting – planners, deci-sion-makers, investors – toacquire a basic knowledgeof the subject. This facili-tates cooperation with light-ing and electrical special-ists. The lighting informa-tion contained in all thesebooklets is of a general na-ture.

LichtforumLichtforum is a specialistperiodical devoted to to-pical lighting issues andtrends. It is published atirregular intervals.

www.licht.deFGL is also on the Internet.Its website

www.licht.de

offers tips on correct light-ing for a variety of domesticand commercial “lightingsituations”. Explanations oftechnical terms are avail-able at a click of themouse. Product groupswhich figure in the lightingsituations are linked toa “product/manufacturer”matrix, where they are fur-ther linked to FGL mem-bers. Other site featuresinclude specimen pagesof FGL print publications,hotlinks and a discussionforum.

Gutes Licht für Sicherheit aufStraßen, Wegen und Plätzen 3Gutes Licht für Schulen und

Bildungsstätten 2Die Beleuchtung mit künstlichem Licht 1

Gutes Licht für Sport und Freizeit 8Gutes Licht

im Gesundheitswesen 7Gutes Licht für Verkaufund Präsentation 6Gutes Licht für

Handwerk und Industrie 5

Wirtschaftlicher Lichtkomfortmit Beleuchtungselektronik 12Gutes Licht für Hotellerie

und Gastronomie 11NotbeleuchtungSicherheitsbeleuchtung 10Repräsentative

Lichtgestaltung 9

Gutes Licht am Haus und im Garten 15 Stadtmarketing mit Licht 16Ideen für Gutes Licht

zum Wohnen 14Gutes Licht für kommunaleBauten und Anlagen 13

Information on Lighting ApplicationsBooklet 4

Good Lighting for Officesand Office Buildings

Good Lighting for Officesand Office Buildings 4

Subject to all regulations of European standard DIN EN 12464