Electricity & Lighting

Electricity and lighting are very important aspects of design. Electricity is important for keeping systems running, such as heating and cooling. Lighting is very important for interior designers to consider. Poor lighting can make a wonderful design look different than what is intended. It affects colors and textures that make up designs.

Electricity is typically provided by electrical companies and carried to buildings using wires. The powerline is dropped down to a meter that records electrical usage. The power is then grounded and run through to the interior electrical panel. Providing power adequately in a room is important to consider when space planning. The number and locations of outlets and electrical supply locations should match the intended use of the space and match with the furniture placement. Bad outlet placements stand out significantly in a design, very similar to a clashing color. Floor outlets can help with this because in larger spaces it allows for easy access to electricity in the middle of rooms where furniture may be located. It allows flexibility for future designs and needs of people working/inhabiting the space. 

Electricity is used in many different ways in a building but one of the most important is its use for lighting. Lighting is a huge part of design and can make or break a design. It also has significant affects on people's health and wellness. One of the ways that people notice lighting in a space is through what temperature it is. Light can be either warmer or cooler, not temperature-wise but through associations with color. A warmer light pairs or is grouped with a warmer color palette that includes oranges, yellows, and reds. A cooler light is paired with cooler colors like blues. Light temperature can change the appearance of colors in a space and make them look different in the room compared to when they were selected. There are other factors that can play into designs such as glare and how much light is in a room (bright vs. dim), but I would argue that color is the most important. Colors have a huge impact on how we think and feel in spaces. If the temperature of the light doesn't reflect the intent of the space then our response to the space will not be ideal. In rooms where we spend a lot of time, light temperature is important because it can affect our productivity, mood, circadian rhythm, and so much more. 

There are a few different types of lamps or bulbs. Incandescent lamps provide a comfortable warm light that is easily dimmable but they are very inefficient and give off lots of heat. These are found more often in residential settings. Halogen lamps are typically not as warm as incandescent lights. They are very good for strongly focused sources of light. This means they are good for spotlighting and showcasing. Fluorescent lamps are long-lasting and can come in a variety of different temperatures. While they are energy-efficient, they are not sustainable because they contain mercury. HIDs (or High-Intensity Discharge) lamps are typically used for outdoor lighting. They typically have a whiter light. LEDs (or Light Emitting Diodes) are energy-efficient lamps that combine red, blue, and green diodes together to create a white light. They are also dimmable and can last up to 20 years. 

Rendering Light:

I thought that both of these interiors did an amazing job of using lighting in the space to really emphasize and compliment the designs. Without the lighting (both artificial and natural), these designs would have fallen flat. I decided to render the canyon-esque space because I loved how it played with the dimensional walls and more unique lighting. I thought it had an interesting blend of light and shadows. This render was interesting to do because it really highlighted how drastic lighting can be in a space and yet it is still well lit. A lot of times we try to have ambient lighting, which is good, but we can still get that affect from unique light sources. The render also highlights the idea of mimicking natural light in a space that doesn't have any. Light is an important part of our health and if we can mimic it (when natural light is not an option) then our designs can be that much healthier.